Dino Melaye: Suspect or already convicted?

The Nigerian Senate has been in the limelight recently from the stolen Mace saga to recent events and developments bordering on just one individual, Senator Dino Melaye.

Yesterday, it was drama all through as we got reports upon report which included updates on how the Senator in question, nearly jumped bail as claimed by men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS). The police in its account mentioned that the vehicle conveying Mr. Melaye to their station, was attacked by suspected supporters of the distinguished senator, who used the opportunity to jump out of the vehicle and got seriously injured to point of being hospitalised.

Speaking, some of his supporters did mention that they suspected the police was taking him an unknown destination for “God knows what” and that would have probably prompted the attack on the police vehicle. Mr. Melaye after being re-apprehended when he jumped out of the vehicle was reported have said, speaking to SARS operatives “I will kill myself and put you people in trouble”.

The truth is these allegations and counter allegations might go on forever if the case at hand is not properly handled. A Police arrest is not meant to harm any suspect in whatever circumstance that it may come. It is only the first step in the process of an investigation which ordinarily should not last for more than twenty four hours before the suspect is charged to court or granted bail in the case of insufficient evidence as the case may be.

What is baffling is that, it is on record now that Mr. Melaye has attempted to jump bail twice already on the same issue. If Senator Dino Melaye is innocent as he claims, I believe he should stop resisting arrest so that he can be charged to a competent court in order to be proven innocent.

On the part of the Police, the intimidation and forceful nature employed in arresting suspects should be seriously looked into so that there won’t be cases of high- handedness and brutalizing of innocent citizens by officers who are supposed to gently coerce or convince citizens in a situation of an arrest.