- Suspects arrested, arms, operational vehicle recovered
Fifteen days after some gunmen attempted
to assassinate Senator Dino Melaye at his residence at Iyala, Ijumu LGA
in Kogi State, the Police yesterday named the Chairman of the same
Ijumu Local Government, 54-year-old Taofiq Isa as the principal suspect
and mastermind of the attack.
Isa was arrested and paraded alongside
five other suspects including his police orderly, ex-Sergeant Ede James,
by the Police at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, according to the Force
Public Relations Officer, CSP, Jimoh Moshood.
Other suspects included 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.
Among the exhibits recovered from the
suspects in the attack on Melaye, who is Chairman, Senate Committee on
Federal Capital Territory, were: 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.
While addressing women of Kogi West
Senatorial District who embarked on peaceful protest at Aiyetoro-Gbede,
his country home on April 22, Melaye had accused Kogi State Governor
Yahaya Bello and the Ijumu LGA Chairman, Isa of a plot to assassinate
him because of his stand on the plight of Kogi workers and pensioners in
the state.
The Police FPRO said the arrests of the
six suspects was based on the directive of the Inspector General of
Police, Ibrahim K. Idris, who swiftly deployed a Police Special Tactical
Squad (STS) team to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack
and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Moshood said, “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 six suspects include Taofiq Isah
‘M’ 54 years principal suspect (Chairman Ijumu LGA Kogi State); Ade
Obage ‘M’ 29 years; Abdullahi Isah a.k.a Eko ‘M’ 32 years; Ahmed Ajayi
‘M’ 45 years; Michael Bamidele ‘M’ 26 years, and Ex- Sgt Ede James ‘M’
35 years (Orderly to Chairman of ijumu LGA Kogi State at the time of the
attack).
“Exhibits include One (1) Ambulance
Hyundai Bus; five (5) AK 47 rifles; one (1) Berreta pistol; two (2)
locally made single barrel shotgun; Twenty (25) expended shells of 7.62
mm ammunition; thirteen (13) expended shells of 9mm ammunition, and
twelve (12) expended shells gauge cartridge. The firearms have been sent
for Ballistic expert examination, test and analysis at the Force
Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department in Lagos.
“In compliance with the Inspector
General of Police’s directive on the attack and attempted
assassination/murder of Senator Dino Melaye carried out on 15/04/2017,
at Iyala, Ijumu LGA in Kogi state, the operatives of the IGP Special
Tactical Squad swung into action and after ten days of painstaking
surveillance between 16/04/2017 and 25/04/2017, successfully arrested
six members of the vicious and notorious hired assassins gang
responsible for the attack and attempted assassination /murder of
Senator Dino Melaye carried out on 15/04/2017, at Iyala, Ijumu LGA in
Kogi state namely:
“Taofiq Isah (Chairman Ijumu LGA Kogi
state) according to the investigation so far, he is the mastermind of
the executed attempted assassination/murder of Senator Dino Melaye. He
was alleged to have directed one Abdulmumini a.k.a Iron, now at large
(who was said to be his Personal Assistant) and who in turn recruited
other members of the vicious and notorious hired assassins gang
mentioned above.
“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.
“Ahmed Ajayi ‘M’ 45 years (local
security man at the residence of Taofiq Isah a principal suspect) a
prohibited locally made single barrel shotgun was recovered from his
possession.
“Michael Bamidele ‘M’ 26 years (local
security man at the residence of Taofiq Isah a principal suspect) a
prohibited locally made single barrel shotgun was recovered from his
possession.
“Ex-Sgt Ede James ‘M’ (Orderly to
Chairman of Ijumu LGA Kogi State): He is the Police orderly to the
principal suspect Taofiq Isah, the Chairman of Ijumu LGA in Kogi State
whose phone was used for communication for the planning of the failed
assassination/murder of Senator Dino Melaye. He was arrested with a
serious criminal link to another principal suspect Abdullahi a.k.a Eko
who is an active member of the gang.
“Abdulmumini a.k.a Iron (at large) He is
the personal Assistant (PA) to Chairman Ijumu LGA. Investigation so far
revealed that he recruited members of the gang for the attack namely:
Abdullahi a.k.a Eko arrested, Osama (SNU) at large, Lukman a.k.a
General/Commander at large and China a.k.a Lie down flat at large and
Adamu Aloha also at large. The suspects jointly entered the ambulance
and left to Senator Dino Melaye residence at Ijumu LGA Kogi State.
“Abdullahi Isah a.k.a Eko the third
suspect further confessed to the crime and admitted to have been sent by
the Chairman of Ijumu LGA in Kogi State Hon. Taofiq Isah to go and
assassinate Senator Dino Melaye. Investigation is being intensified to
arrest other suspects at large. All suspects will be arraigned in court
on completion of investigation”, Moshood added
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