Following the police denial that there was an assassination attempt on the life of Mr. Dino Melaye, the Executive Secretary of the Anti-Corruption Network, has insisted there was an assassination attempt on his life on Monday, adding that he has brought threats to his person in the past to the attention of the police.
Mr. Melaye, a former member of the House of Representatives, made copies of letters he had previously sent to the police to inform them of those threats, and his requests for their protection available to the media.
*Dino’s car after the attack (Inset) Dino Melaye
Mr. Melaye’s first letter was to the Commissioner of Police of the Federal Capital Territory was dated January 19, 2012. In it, he asked for two police officers to protect his residence. “This has become most pertinent as a result of recent strong threat on the lives of my family members and my humble self,” the letter said.
On July 31, he sent another letter to the Minister of Police Affairs requesting a courtesy call to introduce his non-governmental organization, the Anti-corruption Network. In the letter, he suggested to the Minister “the need to build necessary and effective synergy between the Network” and the police department.
In a third letter dated September 20, he asked the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, for two non-uniformed policemen to provide protection, but he did not state the nature of the threat.
It will be recalled that Mr. Melaye, a former member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party but now a member of the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria, had reported that his vehicle was shot at on Monday night in the Central Business District of Abuja as he headed home from the National Hospital.
However, the police had denied there was an assassination attempt on the life of Mr. Melaye. According to a police commissioner in Abuja, Olufemi Ogunbayo, “The police have gone to the scene of the crime and we could not find any car parked there; no trace of shells on the ground.”
The commissioner also disputed Melaye’s claim that his car was bullet proof.
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