Court orders police boss to take care of Dino Melaye until June when case will be heard again

EMBATTLED Senator Dino Melaye's lawyer Mike Ozekhome has revealed that the inspector-general of police Ibrahim Idris is now compelled to take care of his client at the National Hospital Abuja pending his next appearance in court.

Earlier today, Senator Melaye appeared in court where he is facing several charges including a criminal conspiracy to carry out communal killings. In what has been a long running battle with Governor Yahaya Bello, Senator Melaye recently survived a recall attempt and dramatically jumped out of a police vehicle why being transported into custody.

It now appears that matters are gradually getting less dramatic, although today, senator Melaye appeared before a Kogi State high court on a stretcher.  Mr Ozekhome, said the court to a decision to refuse to send his client to prison but ruled that the inspector-general of police to should take adequate care of the defendant.

Mr Ozekhome said: “What happened was that the prosecution asked the court to remand him in prison but the judge refused and rather said the inspector-general of police should take care of Mr Melaye until he fully recovers. The police will have no alternative but to return Mr Melaye to the National Hospital Abuja, especially since hospitals in Kogi State are all on strike."

Basically, Senator Melaye has been remanded in Police custody until June 11 when the case will be heard again. As at time of filling report, it is not yet clear if the police will bring the senator back to Abuja or keep him in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.