Police renew summon on Melaye, Bruce over PDP protest

Two senators, Dino Melaye and Ben Murray-Bruce, are to report to the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Garki, Abuja by 1000hrs on Monday, the police said Sunday.

The invitation superseded an earlier one sent to them over their conduct in connection with a protest last week Friday in Abuja, the police said.

Both men were among Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders who protested to demand the removal of the INEC chairman and the declaration of PDP as winner of the Osun governorship election.

Other PDP leaders at the protest include the party’s chairman, Uche Secondus, and Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

Saraki was one of those initially summoned by the police.

But the police appear to have soft-pedaled on the senate president as he was not mentioned or summoned in the Sunday statement.

The protesters had earlier condemned the ‘unprofessional’ conduct of the police during the rally.

The police said they want the two senators to explain their role on the day ”unruly and violent protesters attacked police men on duty in front of the Force Headquarters.” They are no longer expected to report at the office of the IGP Monitoring Unit as earlier stated in a press release issued by the police headquarters on October 5.

The police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, said Sunday that the two senators have a case to answer following preliminary investigation carried out so far by the police into the incident.

Moshood said the probe revealed that Melaye and MurrayBruce were captured on camera for “their active involvement in the disturbance of public peace and public safety, unlawful blockade of Shehu Shagari Way.” He said the blockade lasted several hours and prevented motorists, road users and other members of the public from having access and passage on the highway thereby disturbing public peace and public safety and causing innocent people to scamper for safety

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