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Gunmen Abduct Dino Melaye In Abuja …Force Hqtrs Keeps Mum …Senator’s Whereabouts Still Unknown …Gun Running Case Adjourned To Aug 9
Senator Dino Melaye has been reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen on his way to Kogi State from Abuja.
Senator Ben Murray Bruce, said in a tweet that Melaye was abducted by unknown gunmen in the outskirts of Abuja.
Another report said armed men attacked Senator Dino Melaye in Gwagwalada on his way to Lokoja, yesterday morning.
Melaye, who was to appear before the Magistrate Court sitting in Lokoja, yesterday, in a case of alleged arms running was attacked by armed men who were reported to have blocked his way in a Government Hilux and a Sienna bus.
“As we speak, his whereabouts is yet unknown’, the senator said.
Last Wednesday, Senator Dino Melaye was arraigned before the Abuja High Court sitting in Apo by the police and was granted bail in the sum of N5million.
The lawmaker was arraigned on a six-count charge of attempted suicide, escape from custody and damage of police property.
The prosecution counsel, Mr. Alex Izinyonu, said Melaye escaped from police custody on April 24, 2018, after he broke the glass on the second window of a bus belonging to the Police, using his left elbow.
The lawmaker was said to have jumped into a waiting vehicle, an action which the police say amounted to an offence punishable under section 327 of the Penal Code Law.
He explained that the defendant while being conveyed in a police vehicle to Lokoja, forced his way out of the bus and escaped.
Melaye, who represents Kogi West senatorial zone, denied committing the offences.
The trial judge, Justice Silvanus Oriji granted him bail in the sum of N5million.
Oriji also ordered Melaye to produce two sureties in like sum, as part of the bail condition.
The judge also ordered that the sureties must be directors in the civil service, who are resident in the FCT, and depose to affidavits of means.
Melaye is among the All Progressives Congress (APC) senators that recently defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But in spite of the alert, the Force Headquarters has maintained sealed lips on yesterday’s early morning reported abduction of the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye, by unknown gunmen.
Melaye was reported to have been abducted at gunpoint by some men suspected to be political thugs, at Gwagwalada area of the nation’s federal capital city.
The Force was yet to respond to newsmen’s inquiry on whether the police have established the abduction of the senator whose whereabouts was yet to be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, did not pick several calls made to his known telephone number just as he did not reply to the text message sent to him on the line.
But on its part, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Police Command, feigned ignorance of the abduction, saying so far such information was not at its disposal.
Its image maker, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Anjuguri Manzah, while responding to an inquiry made on the telephone, insisted that the command was yet to receive any information to that effect.
“The FCT Police Command has not received any information to the effect that Senator Dino Melaye is abducted, “he said.
However, a Senior Magistrate’s Court in Kogi has adjourned the trial of Sen. Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial District and two others in the case illegal possession of firearms and arms dealing, until August 9.
Senior Magistrate, Sulyman Abdullah adjourned the case at yesterday’s adjourned sitting for commencement of trial as the prosecution could not open its case due to absence of its lead counsel, Dr Alex Izinyon.
The Officer in Charge of legal department of Kogi command of the Nigeria Police, Mr Theophilus Oteme, told the court that the lead prosecuting counsel, Izinyon had an emergency call last Wednesday that made it impossible for him to appear in court, yesterday.
Oteme therefore applied for an adjournment until September 23 for the commencement of trial in view of the absence of the lead prosecutor more so that one of the defendants (Melaye) was not in court.
However, the lead counsel to Melaye, Chief Mike Ozekhome, represented by Mr Yemi Mohammed, told the court that he had on good authority that Melaye was attacked in Gwagwalada on his way to Lokoja.
“I learnt that he was attacked yesterday (Wednesday) in Gwagwalada on his way to Lokoja to attend his trial and up till now, I have not been able to reach him, I don’t know where he is at the moment,’’ he said.
In his ruling, Abdullah turned down the application by the prosecution for a long adjournment to September 23.
He said that the Kogi State Administration of Criminal Justice Law did not allow for an adjournment beyond two weeks in a criminal case.
The Senior Magistrate, therefore, adjourned the case until August 9 and ordered that the bail earlier granted to Melaye continued.
Abdullah, however, ruled that the other two accused persons, Nuhu Salihu, known as “small’’ and Kabiru Seidu also known as “Osama’’, standing trial on a seven-count charge bordering on illegal possession of firearms and arms dealing, should continue with their remand in police custody.
Meanwhile, reports say that a group of gunmen have killed at least four people during prayer at a Mosque at Kawddi village in Zamfara State.
The attack, which also injured at least eight people, occurred at about 8pm last Tuesday in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state.
The spokesman for Zamfara State Police Command, Mr Muhammad Shehu, confirmed the incident to newsmen, yesterday.
He said the gunmen invaded the village in large numbers and started shooting sporadically and in the process, killed four people while eight others were critically wounded.
Situated in a thick forest and surrounded by rocks, Kwaddi village shares boundary with the Niger Republic, a terrain which the police spokesman said made it difficult for security operatives to respond swiftly to any distress call.
He, however, disclosed that security operatives have been deployed in the village to forestall further attacks and restore calm to the area.
Last week, three people were killed in a similar deadly attack on five villages in Gidan Goga district of Maradun Local Government Area of the state.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja
Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) of his administration’s commitment to supporting and strengthening the scheme in the State.
Fubara gave the assurance last Friday at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Nonwa-Gbam, Tai Local Government Area in the State, during the swearing-in ceremony of 2026 Batch B Stream II orientation course.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Bureau, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Promise Oguzie, the governor said the State Government would remain intentional in providing the necessary support to improve the NYSC scheme and enhance the experiences of corps members deployed to the state.
He charged the corps members to be role models and quality nation-builders in their service to the good people of Rivers State in particular, and Nigeria at large.
“I charge you to be exemplary, dedicated and committed in all you do. Take full advantage of all the camp programmes and activities to enrich yourselves”, he said.
In his welcome address, the State Coordinator of NYSC in Rivers State, Mr. Moses Oleghe, urged corps members to see their deployment to Rivers State as a “veritable opportunity to make meaningful contribution to the growth of the State in particular and Nigeria at large.”
He further charged them to serve with all sense of “integrity, discipline, and the fear of God, especially when they will be engaged as INEC ad-hoc staff that will conduct the 2027 general elections.”
A total of 3,584 corps members composed of 1,421 males and 2,163 females were sworn in by the Chief Judge of Rivers State, who was represented by Justice Godspower Aguma.
Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, says Nigeria needs God-fearing leaders for the nation to move in the right direction and make meaningful progress.
The Governor stated this yesterday when he received in audience, the World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler; his wife, Andriene Marques Kohler; daughter Mariana Marques Kohler and a retinue of ministers of the church at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Fubara who hailed the Seventh Day Adventist Church for its contributions to education and the grooming of future leaders in Nigeria, expressed delight that the Church had over the years, been investing in education at various levels and currently runs two universities in the country.
He commended the church for not only using its institutions to spread the gospel of Christianity but to groom future leaders for the country.
According to him, religion should not be just about defending one’s faith, but also making meaningful impact on the lives of the people.
He said that by floating these educational institutions, the church has demonstrated capacity to support Nigeria in the task of producing not only educated people but a breed of God-fearing leaders.
“Our country is where it is today because we lack the fear of God. If you have the fear of God, there should be a limit to what you can do because you understand the supremacy of God. But when God is not in your equation, you’ll go beyond the line and that is what has brought us to where we are today.
“So, I feel very happy that you are contributing to the development of our future leaders in this country. We need the right people being in the right place; prepared properly with good minds; that is what we need, not just in Nigeria but round the whole world.,” he said.
Governor Fubara further observed that the absence of God-fearing people in high places to take the right decisions that could impact positively on the society, has also given rise to other problems such as social inequality, poverty, corruption and criminality. According to him, Nigeria needs a system where the average parent could afford quality education for their children and a guarantee that upon graduation, the average child will have the capacity to compete favourably with anybody, anywhere in the world.
“If we have a situation where the little money that you’re being paid as wage can also afford you quality healthcare and after working at least for 15-20 years, you have a roof over your head, tell me why you should be involved in any kind of crime? At that point, you’ll feel secured and this attitude of insecurity about the future that leads to all the social vices we have today won’t be there,” he said.
Governor Fubara expressed appreciation to the delegation for the visit and for their prayers for Rivers State, assuring them of his continued support for their programmes in the state.
Leader of the delegation and World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler said he was in Nigeria for a special conference of the church during which thousands of the church’s ministers will be undergoing an empowerment programme to further equip them for the task of herding their flocks and serving the society.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for the warm reception accorded his entourage, saying the memory of the visit will linger in his mind for a lifetime.
Kohler disclosed that the Church has over twenty -four million (24,000,000) members and more than 182,000 places of worship, spread across 212 countries of the world.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has approved the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
This reaffirms the lawmakers’ commitment to enacting laws and taking legislative actions geared towards the overall development of the State.
The Assembly gave the approval during its Second Legislative Sitting of the Fourth Session held last Friday.
Speaking on the MTEF document during plenary, the House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, noted that by the provision of Section 10(1)(b) of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law No. 8 of 2010, the MTEF ought to have been laid before the House in September 2025.
Amaewhule explained that traditionally, the document is expected to be presented four months before the commencement of the next financial year and immediately after the expiration of every three-year fiscal cycle.
He, however, stated that in the interest of the State and its people, the House considered it necessary to deliberate on the document, describing it as a precursor to the 2026 Budget Estimates.
The Speaker expressed concern that the year had already progressed significantly before the presentation of the framework.
During deliberations on the document, members examined the assumptions and projections contained in the MTEF and observed that strict adherence to the outlined fiscal parameters would ultimately serve the interest of Rivers people.
The lawmakers maintained that effective implementation of the framework would promote prudent financial management and enhance developmental planning across the State.
Following the debate and positive consideration by members, the Speaker put the question to the House and members voted overwhelmingly in support of the approval of the MTEF.
Meanwhile, during the same sitting last Friday, the House also received a petition from the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Dr. Gift Worlu.
The petition was presented by the member representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II, Hon. Emilia Amadi.
According to the petition, concerns were raised over an imminent security breach, threats to lives, destruction of property and alleged forceful takeover of property by some lawless persons within parts of the Local Government Area.
Presenting the petition before the House, Hon. Amadi appealed to the lawmakers to revisit the matter and take necessary steps aimed at safeguarding lives and property in the affected communities.
The House is expected to further deliberate on the petition and consider measures to address the concerns raised in order to sustain peace and security in the area.
King Onunwor
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