Dino Melaye's brother and three others remanded in custody for facilitating his escape from police

SENATOR Dino Melaye's brother Samuel has been remanded in custody by an Abuja magistrates court along with three others after a judge upheld a police complaint that they were trying to uphold the dispensation of justice.

Over the last week, Senator Melaye has been embroiled in a running battle with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) who arrested him and were transporting him from Abuja to Kogi State. However, along the way, senator Melaye, who represents Kogi West, jumped out of the vehicle transporting him and he has since been in hospital receiving treatment.

In what has now become a national drama, Senator Melaye has become the subject of a battle between the national assembly and the executive. Senators have summoned the inspector-general of police to the National Assembly to answer questions about the arrest of one of their members but so far, the police boss has shunned the invitation.

Increasing the drama, an Abuja chief magistrate's court sitting at Mpape, has ordered Samuel Melaye and three others, should be remanded in Kuje Prison. During the hearing, the court held that the quartet who were docked by the NPF for obstruction, should remain in prison custody until April 30 when the merit of their bail application will be considered.

Those the court remanded alongside Samuel Melaye were Amaefula David, Pius Inyang and Mohammed Waziri. All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the First Information Report, that the police entered against them on Wednesday.

The charge followed the incident at Area One, Roundabout in Abuja, which botched alleged moves to forcibly relocate Senator Melaye to Lokoja in Kogi State to answer pending criminal allegations against him. Senator Melaye was said to have jumped out of the police van conveying him to Lokoja and was allegedly whisked away by his supporters who were said to have blocked the road with their vehicle.

Senator Melaye was subsequently re-arrested at a private hospital where he was admitted for treatment and later transferred to the National Hospital in Abuja by the police. Subsequently, the police have slammed the four defendants with criminal conspiracy, obstruction of public servant from performing his lawful duties, as well as abatement and assault on police officers contrary to sections 97, 85, 267 and 173 of the Penal Code Law.