Melaye: State of emergency should be declared in Kogi

Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, says a state of emergency should be declared in Kogi because the state is no longer safe.

Speaking on the floor of the senate on Tuesday, Melaye said Kogi is in “a state of anarchy”.

The senator also said that the senate should audit the arms and ammunition in Kogi police command, particularly the armoury of the state’s government house.

“Mr President I will seek the leave of this senate to bring a proper motion to ask for the declaration of a State of emergency in Kogi state,” he said.

“As I speak to you, Kogi state is no longer passable since Yahaya Bello became the governor. Kidnap is going on, on daily basis. Insecurity on the rise than ever; there has been four jail breaks in Kotorn Karfe prison.

“We can  not continue like that, there is already a state of anarchy. I want to say that the senate should investigate the matter, not just an investigation but to do the audit of all arms and ammunition in the Kogi state police command, specifically the armoury in government house.”

Melaye said the attack on him by gunmen in Lokoja on Monday, was allegedly orchestrated by the governor.

“I rise this morning to inform the senate of the federal republic of Nigeria of the satanic wicked, manifestation of the governor of Kogi state and his cronies. Mr President I went on a regular visit to my constituency to brief my constituents about the government efforts of my recall programme,” he said.

“SSS and police accompanied me to the gate of Kogi polytechnic where I addressed a crowd. I just finished addressing the crowd and I got off the rostrum and opened my car to go in but I saw gunmen from the other side firing sporadically.

“I ran into the bullet proof jeep and one particular killer who is notorious and known in Kogi state as a murderer, in fact he beheaded somebody in Okene, it is for that reason, he was brought to SARS in Abuja, he spent months in Abuja and was released few weeks ago. This particular criminal was the one that came and faced my car and opened fire on my car, fortunately he was hitting a bullet car.

“Mr President, this is the second attack of an assassination attempt on my life orchestrated by the Kogi state government.”

The senator alleged he could identify some of the governor’s aides in the midst of the gunmen.