DINO'S FATE: There Was No Assassination Attempt - Police Commissioner

Dino’s bullet riddled car

“The police have gone to the scene of the crime and we could not find any car parked there; no trace of shells on the ground.”

The Commissioner of Police in the Nigerian Capital, Abuja, Olufemi Ogunbayo, has denied that there was an assassination attempt on leading opposition politician, Dino Melaye.

Mr. Ogunbayo stated this in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday.

Mr. Melaye said his vehicle was shot at on Monday night in the Central Business District of Abuja; and the former federal lawmaker described the incident as an assassination attempt.

Speaking to PREMUIM TIMES on Tuesday evening, Mr. Melaye said he reported the attempted assassination to the Abuja police boss and would further look up to God for more protection.

Mr. Ogunbayo confirmed that Mr. Melaye did actually report the incident, but said it could not be described as an assassination attempt as there was no evidence of gunshot.

The police boss narrated what Mr. Melaye reported to the police. He said the ex-lawmaker said he was on his way home from the National Hospital, Abuja in his airconditioned car, all windows wound up, and was listening to cool music when he noticed a range rover sport golf car drive past his.

“The car was said to have parked few meters away from his and the next thing he (Mr. Melaye) heard was a loud sound which he thought was a gunshot. Dino Melaye never said the shot was aimed at him,” the police boss said.

Mr. Ogunbayo said, “The police have gone to the scene of the crime and we could not find any car parked there; no trace of shells on the ground.”

“And there is car dealer store at the area which we went to ask if they heard any gunshot and they said no they never heard any gunshot,” he added.

The police boss said further investigation showed that Mr. Melaye’s car window is not bullet proof; and if there was a gunshot it would have penetrated straight into the car and he would have been shot dead. He said the window has a sign of a crack on it, which could have been a result of the loud sound.

“If they had wanted to kill Dino, they do not need to drive and park meters away from Dino’s car before shooting, they would have just blocked his car and shoot him at the spot, so that cannot be called an attempted assassination. And how then is it possible for you to be in your car wind up enjoying the air condition and a very cool music and then you hear a gunshot?” he said.

Mr. Ogunbayo said Mr. Melaye’s car has been returned to him and further investigations are ongoing on the matter.

Mr. Melaye, formerly a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party is now one of the most vociferous critics of the federal government. He is now a member of the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria and has been at the forefront of the demand for probity and accountability in government.

We are trying to put the police claims to Mr. Melaye and we shall provide updates soon.

Source: Premium Times

UPDATE: I was attacked - Dino Melaye

Dino Melaye, the Executive Secretary of the Anti-Corruption Network, insists there was an assassination attempt on his life on Monday, adding that he has brought threats to his person in the past to the attention of the police.

Mr. Melaye, a former member of the House of Representatives, forwarded to SaharaReporters copies of letters he had previously sent to the police to inform them of those threats, and his requests for their protection.

Mr. Melaye’s first letter was to the Commissioner of Police of the Federal Capital Territory was dated January 19, 2012. In it, he asked for two police officers to protect his residence. “This has become most pertinent as a result of recent strong threat on the lives of my family members and my humble self,” the letter said.

On July 31, he sent another letter to the Minister of Police Affairs requesting a courtesy call to introduce his non-governmental organization, the Anti-corruption Network.  In the letter, he suggested to the Minister “the need to build necessary and effective synergy between the Network” and the police department.

In a third letter dated September 20, he asked the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, for two non-uniformed policemen to provide protection, but he did not state the nature of the threat.

Yesterday, a Commissioner of Police in Abuja, Olufemi Ogunbayo, denied there was an assassination attempt on the life of Mr. Melaye. He told Premium Times, “The police have gone to the scene of the crime and we could not find any car parked there; no trace of shells on the ground.”  

The commissioner also disputed Melaye’s claim that his car was bullet proof.

Mr. Melaye, a former member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party but now a member of the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria, had reported that his vehicle was shot at on Monday night in the Central Business District of Abuja as he headed home from the National Hospital.  In light of the refusal of the police authorities to provide him with protection, the former lawmaker said that he would now look up only to God to provide him with protection.

Source: Sahara Reporters