Skip links

Embatttled ‘singing senator’ arraigned in Nigerian court

Read 2 minutes

Nigerian senator Dino Melaye [Photo-File]
Embattled Nigerian Senator Dino Melaye has been re-arrested and wheeled into court on a stretcher for the second consecutive day.

A police ambulance transported Mr. Melaye – who is known as the “singing senator” – from the capital, Abuja, to Lokoja city in north-central Nigeria early this morning, his media aide, Rotimi Ayodele, said.

He was then carried into a magistrate court on a stretcher.

Mr. Rotimi said he was awaiting news from the hearing.

Mr. Melaye has been accused of sponsoring and arming political thugs. He denies the allegation, saying he is a victim of a plot to end his political career.

He is known to be at loggerheads with Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello, even though they both belong to the ruling party.

On Wednesday, police wheeled Mr. Melaye on a stretcher into a magistrate court in Abuja on charges of attempting to escape from “lawful custody”.

The Abuja magistrate granted Mr. Melaye bail of 90m naira ($250,000; £184,000), but he was re-arrested by police.

Mr Melaye had been under police guard in a hospital in Abuja since last week after he sustained injuries while allegedly trying to escape by jumping out of a police vehicle. His allies say he was pushed.

At the weekend, the election commission threw out a petition to force him to step down as a senator, saying only about 5% of signatures – 18,742 out of 189,870 – could be verified.

 

Mr. Melaye gained the nickname of the “singing senator” for posting videos on social media taunting a rival in song.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.