Mr. Taofiq Isa, Chairman of Ijumu Local Government, and his police orderly are among those arrested for alleged attempts to assassinate Senator Dino Mleaye.
Some hoodlums were reported by Melaye to have attack his residence at Iyala, Ijumu LGA in Kogi State, two weeks ago when he went home for Easter break.
The police on Saturday in Abuja paraded 54-year-old Isa as the principal suspect assassination attempt on the Chairman of Senate Committee on FCT.
Isa was arrested and paraded alongside five other suspects, including his police orderly, ex-Sergeant Ede James, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, named the other suspects to include Ade Obage ‘M’ 29 years; Abdullahi Isah a.k.a Eko ‘M’ 32 years; Ahmed Ajayi ‘M’ 45 years, and Michael Bamidele ‘M’ 26 years.
The exhibits recovered from the suspects include one Ambulance Hyundai Bus; five AK 47 rifles; one Berreta pistol; two locally made single barrel shotgun; 25 expended shells of 7.62 mm ammunition; 13 expended shells of 9mm ammunition, and twelve expended shells of gauge cartridge.
He said the arrests of the six suspects was based on the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim K. Idris.
Idris, he said, had deployed a Police Special Tactical Squad (STS) team to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Consequent on the attack by unknown gun men on Senator Dino Melaye at his residence at Iyala, Ijumu LGA in Kogi State on 15th April, 2017, at about 0030hrs, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris swiftly deployed Police Special Tactical Squad (STS) team to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“The firearms have been sent for Ballistic expert examination, test and analysis at the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department in Lagos.”
“Ade Obage ‘M’ 29 years: He voluntarily informed the Police that he has the knowledge and information about the attempted assassination/murder attack of Senator Dino Melaye after the attack was carried out. He further informed the investigators that he was contacted to join the gang by Abdullahi Eko a principal suspect now in Police custody.
“Abdullahi a.k.a Eko ‘M’ a native of Adavi town in Adavi LGA of Kogi State was arrested and he confessed to the crime and admitted to the criminal roles he played along with the other suspects in carrying out the attempted assassination/murder of Senator Dino Melaye.
“He also mentioned other members of the gang who are still at large and that they used the Ambulance Hyundai bus and Five (5) AK 47 rifles for the operation. The Ambulance was recovered behind the Ijumu LGA Secretariat in Kogi State.”