Senator says Gov Bello sponsoring armed militia in Kogi

chika ebuzor

March 14, 2018 6:22 PM

According to the lawmaker, Bello passed a law in Kogi to enable the armed militia members to take over the duties of the police in the state.

Senator Dino Melaye has accused the Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello of arming an illegal militia.

The Senator also alleged that the members of the militia group have started taking laws into their hands and killing people.

Melaye said this while raising a motion on the floor of the Senate, on the security situation in Kogi state.

Senate wants militia group banned

Meanwhile, the Senate has mandated its committees on security and intelligence and the judiciary to liaise with the National Security Adviser (NSA) to ensure the group is banned.

Speaking further on the issue, Melaye also said “Mr. President, I have a copy of the law here which is already a law of the Kogi State government. By the time I perused this law, this law is in conflict with the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“This law, Mr. President alters the function of the Nigeria Police as stipulated in section 214 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

“Mr. President, it is a fact that states can make laws through the state houses of Assembly as enshrined in section 4 of the1999 constitution as amended. But the laws they must make must not be in conflict with the provision of the constitution.

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“Mr. President, I seek your indulgence to read a section of the law passed by Kogi state government. It says: ‘the vigilante group will be involved in the detection and prevention of crime, the apprehension of criminal, the preservation of law and order, the protection of life and property, will assist other security and para-military agencies in the discharge of their duty, to assist other security agencies in government installation, to assist other security agencies in maintaining law and order in any economic, political and social gathering. There shall be a comptroller-general of vigilante services and, deputy comptroller-general of vigilante services’.

Senator Dino Melaye had earlier accusedGovernor Yahaya Bello of planning to poison him using men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

chika ebuzor