I will fight ‘criminals in power’ with my last blood – Melaye tells FG

Senate Committee Chairman on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Dino Melaye, has vowed to fight those whom he referred to as “criminals in power”, at both levels of the government, until sanity is restored to the polity.

Rising under order 43 of the rules of the Senate, Melaye said he read on media that the federal government had perfected arrangements to arraign him in court over the claim that he raised false alarm over his attempted murder.

Melaye who is currently representing the people of Kogi West at the 8th Senate, has been having running battle with the young Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

The lawmaker had on July 2017, raised the alarm that his assassination was been orchestrated by the state government.


He specifically accused the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Edward Onoja and the Sole Administrator of Ijumu local government council, Alhaji Taofeek Isah in his petition to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions and the complaint statement before the Nigeria Police.

The media, however, reported yesterday that the federal government was going to arraign Senator Melaye for misleading the security agencies and the public.

Iyked by this move, the lawmaker, while making a statement of personal explanations before the Senate on Tuesday, accused the federal government of fighting him as a result of his stern commentaries on the misgivings of the government lately.

He said, those who made assassination attempt to his life and the masterminds were arrested, saying, “Onoja and Taofeek spent three weeks at the police detention”.

Melaye explained further that, the matter was currently before the Kogi High Court in Lokoja and that, ammunition and the ambulance used by the suspects were under the custody of the court.

He wondered why the same federal government would turn back to contemplate his own arraignment as “the victim” While the “criminals” are untouched.

“This arraignment is to silent me and make me stop attacking the federal government on national issues, but it will not stop me. I will continue to criticise the state government and the federal government, I will continue to raise issues about the criminals in power. I will fight this with the last drop of my blood”, Melaye fumed.

Malaye had on Monday vowed via a tweet not to relent despite the alleged attempt to smear his reputation.