Court to hear Melaye’s bail application Thursday

A high court in Lokoja, capital of Kogi state, has adjourned till Thursday, hearing in a bail application and counter motion brought by Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west.

Nasir Ajanah, the judge, gave the ruling at the resumed hearing of the motions on Monday.

Ajanah, who is the chief judge of Kogi, said the adjournment was to enable Melaye to file further and better affidavit on the bail application.

He said the adjournment would also enable the court to study the counter-motions very well to be able to rule on the matter judiciously.

Melaye is standing trial alongside Kabiru Seidu, alias Osama, and Nuhu Salihu, aka Small. They were arraigned on seven-counts bordering on illegal possession of firearms, criminal conspiracy and illegal dealing in arms.

The prosecution, led by Alex Izinyon (SAN), had urged the court not to grant Melaye bail because he had once escaped from lawful custody.

Izinyon said the senator while in police custody from Abuja to Lokoja for arraignment allegedly jumped out of a police vehicle and escaped.

He said there was no guarantee that Melaye would be available for trial if granted bail, adding that his conduct in the alleged escape did not portray him as one who would respect bail conditions.

But counsel to Melaye, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), urged the court to grant his client bail “because the circumstances that led to his alleged escape as portrayed by the prosecution were not true”.

The police had earlier arraigned Melaye at a magistrates’ court which ordered that he be remanded in custody, pending his arraignment at a high court in Lokoja.