FG Amends Charges, Re-arraigns Melaye For the 12th time.

As FCT High Court grants lawmaker bail on existing conditions

The Senator representing Kogi West and Senator-elect, Dino Melaye, was on Monday morning arraigned before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama for allegedly resisting police arrest.

This is the 12th time the lawmaker will be arraingned by both the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police before various courts in Abuja and Lokoja, Kogi state.

It will be recalled that operatives of the Nigeria Police had in December 2018 stormed Melaye’s private residence in Maitama, Abuja and laid a siege to the property for a week, a development the lawmaker described as illegal and a violation of his rights.

Upon submitting himself for arrest, the Police in January, 2019 arraigned the lawmaker alongised his security guard for allegedly resisting arrest and was subsequently granted bail on health ground.

The bail conditions included the Clerk to the National Assembly writing a letter assuring the court that the National Assembly will provide Melaye anytime he’s needed with two sureties with evidence of property in Abuja.

But this Monday, the Federal Government took over the case and amended the charges initially preferred against the lawmaker to include speaking to journalists and making tweets on his social media handles while in hiding.

However, the presiding judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu subsequently granted Melaye a fresh bail on the exiting conditions.