Assassination claim: Court forecloses prosecution in Melaye’s trial

An FCT High Court in Maitama has foreclosed the prosecution in the trial of Senator Dino Melaye for alleged falsehood. Melaye, who until recently represented Kogi West in the Senate, was standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on giving false information to the police. He was alleged to have sometimes in April, 2017 deliberately […]

An FCT High Court in Maitama has foreclosed the prosecution in the trial of Senator Dino Melaye for alleged falsehood.

Melaye, who until recently represented Kogi West in the Senate, was standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on giving false information to the police.

He was alleged to have sometimes in April, 2017 deliberately given false information to the police to incriminate the then Chief of Staff to Kogi State governor, Edward David Onoja.

Melaye allegedly gave the name of Onoja, now the state deputy governor, as the mastermind of an assassination attempt on him.

Melaye was also alleged to have in April, 2017 given false statement of facts in a phone conversation with Mr Mohammed Abubakar, son of a late former governor of the state, Abubakar Audu.

The prosecution alleged that the phone call was with the intention of harming the reputation of Onoja.

The trial judge, Justice Olasumbo Goodluck foreclosed the prosecution yesterday in a bench ruling on the application made by the counsel for Melaye, Olusegun Odubela (SAN), who drew the attention of court to the absence of the prosecuting counsel.

The judge held that she could not disregard the antecedents of the counsel for the prosecution in the case.

She stated that the prosecution did not accord the court with the respect of a written letter explaining their absence in court.

Justice Goodluck further stated that the case had been adjourned more than the required five times at the instance of the prosecution through absence in court or non preparedness to go on with the case.

The judge said she would have ordinarily dismissed the case for lack of diligent prosecution in line with the provision of Section 351 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).