Dino Melaye writes to police boss asking for the return of his passport and restoration of security detail

CONTROVERSIAL Senator Dino Melaye has written to the inspector-general of police Ibrahim Idris asking him to restore his security detail and release his international passport seized earlier this year.

Always in the news for one controversy or the other, Senator Melaye, who represents Kogi West Senatorial District, was arrested and charged to court this year, during which time his passport was seized. He has since been released on bail after escaping custody by jumping out of a police van but his passport has not been return and neither have the police security detail attached to him been recalled.

In a letter dated August 23, Senator Melaye urged Mr Idris to comply with a court order or direct the compliance with the order by releasing his international passports to law firm of Mike Ozekhome. He also requested the immediate restoration of policemen posted to protect him, who have been withdrawn since April.

According to an acknowledgement copy of a letter written by Senator Melaye’s counsel, Chief Mike Ozekome, the senator also asked the police to transfer the investigation of the case of the attempt to assassinate him from Kogi Police Command in Lokoja to the force headquarters in Abuja.  The letter reads: “We write most humbly to intimate your office, of the refusal of the assistant inspector general of police (AIG) David Igbodo to release our client’s international passports to him, despite a subsisting court order and letters of demand by our law firm.

“It is further our client’s instructions that despite repeated demands for the release of the said international passports, AIG David Igbodo, who is in custody of the passports, has refused and neglected to release same.  It is instructive to also note that the withdrawn charge was subsequently filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, where our client has since been granted bail, for which he fulfilled the bail conditions.”