A 31 year old leader of an armed robbery and kidnapping gang operating in Kogi State, Kabiru Saidu a.k.a Osama, from Dekina in Kogi State, has alleged in his confession to police that he and members of his gang were armed by the Senator representing Kogi West in the current Senate, Dino Melaye to be his thugs in the 2019 general elections.
“The gang leader, KABIRU SAIDU a.k.a OSAMA “31 YRS” further confessed to the Police investigative team that Senator Dino Melaye handed over a bag containing the following firearms one (1) AK47 rifle, two (2) Pump Action guns and the sum of four hundred and thirty thousand naira N430,000.00 to share with his boys. “
These were contained in a statement today in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Jimoh Moshood which gave the name of the other robbery and kidnapping suspect in the gang as 25 year old Nuhu Salisu a.k.a Small. Items recovered from them are two AK47 rifles, five Pump Action Guns, two locally made with one using AK47 Ammunition and hip of charms.
The statement said that the gang leader confessed that he has been working as a Political Thug for one Alhaji Mohammed Audu a Politician in the State and that Alhaji Mohammed Audu later invited him to Abuja and introduced him to Senator Dino Melaye and they met on Airport road, Abuja inside the Senator Dino Melaye’s Car in the month of December, 2017.
The suspect further confessed that, Senator Dino Melaye told him that they should start working for the Senator as his Political Thugs and they should recruit and train more other thugs to work for him in preparation toward 2019 general election to enable him ( Senator Dino Melaye ) challenge his political opponents and disorganized Kogi State.
“Consequent on the indictments and criminal confessions against Senator Dino Melaye by the principal suspect, Kabiru Saidu, Nigeria Police Force wrote a letter, dated 2nd of March, 2018, addressed to the Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, informing and requesting him to release Senator Dino Melaye to report to Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command on the 7th March, 2018 to answer to criminal offences leveled against him, to enable the Police carry out a discreet investigation into the confessions of the principal suspect against Senator Dino Melaye.
“But Senator Dino Melaye have refused to honour the Police invitation till date.
“A case of Criminal Conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms have therefore been filed by the Nigeria Police Force at Federal High Court Lokoja on 16thMarch, 2018 against the two suspects mentioned above, Senator Dino Melaye and Alhaji Mohammed Audu who is also a suspect in the matter and is now on the run.”
The police said that the suspects were arrested by the Kogi State Police Command personnel and Federal Special Anti-Robbery after a gun battle with the Police team that lasted for some hours on the 19th January, 2018 at Ogojueje in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The statement said that during investigation, they confessed to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of several kidnappings and Armed Robbery in different towns across Kogi State and its environs for which they have been on the wanted list of the Police for more than two years now. [myad]
