The Police has filed a charge of illegal firearm possession against Kogi West lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye, for alleged illegal weapons possession.
In the charge, marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/07/2019, which was filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the police said the offence contravened Section 27 of the Firearms Act.
According to the police force, it said a pump-action gun was recovered from Melaye’s house in July 2018 during a search of his property in Kogi State.
The charge sheet reads, “That you, Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West district in the 8th National Assembly, on or about the 20th day of July 2018, at about 12.30 hours under the jurisdiction of this honourable court, unlawfully had in your possession one automatic pump-action shotgun and 20 cartridges, which were recovered at your residence located in the Ayetoro Gbede area of Kogi State, when a search warrant was executed on the directives of the Nigeria Police Force at your above mentioned residence under your control and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27(1)(a)(i) of the Firearms Act Cap F28 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
Eight persons has been listed as witnesses for the police, that is, six policemen and two men who were painting Melaye’s house when the policemen came to search the property.
The witnesses are: DSP Babagana Bukar, DSP Ibrahim Abalaka, ASP Abdullahi Musa, Inspector Atabo Okpanachi, Inspector Apeh Peter, Theophilus Nuhu, Matthew Anthony and ASP Mohammed Onu.
Tthe witnesses and attached to the charge sheet, the gun was found not in the main building but the “boys’ quarters” where cars were parked.
