Melaye: Don’t drag us into your politics, Interpol tells Nigeria

International Police Organisation (Interpol), has given possible reasons name of a Nigerian lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye, has not appeared on its watch list, saying it does not engage in politicallymotivated operations.
The Nigerian police, had, on March 28, declared Melaye, an All Progressives Congress lawmaker representing Kogi East Senatorial District, and seven others wanted on allegations of criminal conspiracy.
The police also said Interpol had been alerted to place Melaye and other suspects, including Mohammed Audu, son of the late Kogi politician, Abubakar Audu, on its watch list.
However, six days after the announcement, neither Melaye nor any of the remaining suspects had appeared on the red notice board on the Interpol’s website.
Premium Times has learnt new details about why Interpol is yet to issue a red alert for the suspects and why it might never comply with the request from the Nigerian police to do so.
As one of the 192-member countries with active membership of the Interpol network, the police in Nigeria said Melaye was placed on Interpol red notice.
A red notice is an alert for Interpol to locate and temporarily detain an individual pending extradition.
It is issued and often published by the international crime-fighting organisation at the request of a member country or an international tribunal based on a valid national arrest warrant.
Although Interpol told Premium Times it “does not comment on specific cases or individuals except in special circumstances and with approval of the member country concerned,” the agency listed reasons why Nigeria police request for Melaye, if at all it had been formally fi led, might not meet its criteria for red alert.
“Interpol examines requests by member countries to issue Red Notices to ensure compliance with Interpol’s constitution or rules.
This includes Article 3 of Interpol’s Constitution, according to which it is ‘strictly forbidden for the organisation to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character,” the agency said in response to a March 28 e-mail from Premium Times.
“Interpol evaluates legal and quality compliance issues in individual cases if it becomes aware of information that may prompt re-evaluation of a case.
” The unavailability of Melaye on Interpol’s website might be as a result of the stringent requirements of its agency’s Article 3, given the political undertone of Melaye’s case and his status as a serving senator.
…Suspects rearrested Meanwhile, the police said all the six suspects declared wanted after allegedly fl eeing from police custody in Kogi state on March 28, have been re-arrested.
Kabiru Seidu (aka Osama), Nuhu Salisu (aka Small), Aliyu Isa, Adams Suleiman, Emmanuel Audu and Musa Mohammed, who were under detention at the ‘A’ Division Lokoja allegedly escaped from lawful custody hours before they were due to be arraigned in court in Lokoja, the state capital.
They were arrested on allegations of working as political thugs and suspected assassins for Senator Melaye.
The police claimed last month that two of the six suspects had confessed to being armed and financed by Melaye, but the lawmaker denied same.
The suspects were due for arraignment on March 28, when they escaped under unclear circumstances.