Victory for Dino Melaye: Courtroom acquits Senator of six-year custody-escape saga

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Excessive Courtroom in Maitama has discharged Senator Dino Melaye of costs regarding an tried escape from police custody and injury to police property.

The judgment, delivered on Monday by Justice Sylvanius Oriji, marks the conclusion of a long-standing case during which Melaye confronted a six-count cost, together with tried suicide, resisting police arrest, and destruction of police property.

The costs stemmed from an incident on April 24, 2018, when Melaye was being transported by law enforcement officials from Abuja to Lokoja, Kogi State.

He was accused of forcibly escaping from the police automobile, threatening to take his personal life, and damaging the glass of a Toyota Hiace bus along with his elbow throughout the alleged escape try.

These actions, based on the prosecution, had been in violation of a number of sections of the Penal Code, particularly Sections 148, 153, 173, 231, 326, and 327.

Nonetheless, in his ruling, Justice Oriji famous that the prosecution failed to determine the allegations past cheap doubt.

Key inconsistencies had been highlighted within the testimonies of the prosecution’s witnesses, notably within the assertion of PW3, Sergeant Adamu Mohammed.

Mohammed had testified that Melaye pressured open the door of the police bus, however the written assertion he supplied earlier, which was admitted as Exhibit 5, contradicted this declare.

The court docket additional accepted Melaye’s defence that he had suffered an bronchial asthma assault on the day of the incident. His testimony, that he was taken to the Nationwide Hospital by the police, the place he remained for 28 days, was not challenged by the prosecution. This truth considerably weakened the prosecution’s argument that Melaye tried to flee from custody.

Justice Oriji additionally identified that Melaye couldn’t have pressured his manner out of the police automobile within the presence of officers.

He added that the allegation that Melaye’s supporters whisked him away in a Hilux van was not supported by any credible proof. There was no proof that Melaye had communicated with anybody whereas in custody, and nothing indicated that he had coordinated his escape with the alleged thugs.

The court docket additionally solid doubt on the credibility of PW4, Adamu Nafiu, whose assertion in Exhibit 6 contradicted his testimony concerning the breaking of the police bus window. This additional exonerated Melaye from the cost of damaging police property.

Because of this, Justice Oriji dominated that the defendant was not responsible of the fees, particularly dismissing Counts 1, 3, 4, and 6.

He discharged and acquitted Melaye, concluding that the prosecution’s proof was inadequate to show its case.

Melaye expressed reduction and gratitude following the judgment, stating, “I thank God for giving me justice after six years. That is the final of the 12 frivolous instances introduced in opposition to me by both the Federal Authorities or the Inspector General of Police.”

The case, which has spanned a number of years, concerned quite a few authorized proceedings. The prosecution had offered 5 witnesses and ten displays in its effort to substantiate the fees.

Nonetheless, Melaye’s authorized group, led by Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), filed a no-case submission, arguing that the proof offered was inadequate to warrant a conviction.

The court docket had earlier upheld this submission for 2 of the six costs, leaving 4 counts to be addressed within the last judgment.

With Monday’s ruling, the saga surrounding Dino Melaye’s alleged escape from police custody and injury to police property has lastly come to an finish.