Senator says IGP Idris wants him killed with new order

Kogi lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye has taken to social media to allege that the recent announcement of the withdrawal of police officers from protecting politicians is an attempt by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to make him an easier target for political killers.

While meeting with senior police officers in Abuja on Monday, March 19, 2018, the IGP issued a directive for the withdrawal of all police officers attached to individuals and political and public office holders nationwide to be withdrawn in light of recent security challenges.

Shortly after the announcement, Senator Melaye, representing Kogi West senatorial district, took to his official Twitter page , to allege that the IGP wants to expose him after his string of public clashes with the police and the Kogi State government.

He posted, "Withdrawal of police from VIP I am the target. IG want to expose me so I can be killed. Having survived Assassination attempt twice I deserve police protection in a country where I’m a tax payer. No amount of lies and blackmail will detract my attention from speaking the truth and defending it.

"Fabricated lies by Kogi State Govt and the police will fail. It's utterly laughable and preposterous. It's a sign of desperation."

Melaye has been on the war path with the police as well as the Kogi State government, especially Governor Yahaya Bello.

He's made several allegations of assassination attempts on his life by the government and recently got in trouble with one of them after he was slammed with a two-count charge for falsely incriminating Governor Bello's aide, Edward Onoja David.

Court case

In the suit (CR/106/18) filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama, Melaye was slammed with a two-count charge.

In the first count, he is accused of falsely incriminating David in his assassination attempt claim. The lawmaker is accused of deliberately giving false information to the police to frame David as the mastermind of the assassination attempt on his life at his hometown in Ayetoro-Gbede in Kogi State on April 17, 2017.

According to the charge, the police discovered the alleged falsehood in Melaye's claim while investigating his allegation.

In the second count, Melaye was accused of making with Mohammed Abubakar, son of the late ex-governor of Kogi State, Abubakar Audu, with the intention of harming the reputation of David.