In a gale of fury over the ordeal Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) in the hands of the Nigeria Police, the Senate yesterday summoned the Inspector – General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to appear before it in plenary today.
The upper chamber also adjourned sitting for sympathy visit to the embattled senator at the National Hospital, Abuja just as senators one after the other, lampooned the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government for authoritarian tendencies which according to them, are threats to the survival of democracy.
Resolutions on IGP’s appearance before the Senate today was sequel to a motion moved to that effect by Senator Sam Anyanwu (PDP, Imo East). Anyanwu, in the motion anchored on orders 14 and 15 of the Senate standing rules, said the treatment being meted to Melaye by the Police on alleged illegal possession of ammunition was an affront to democracy since the said matter was already in court.
“It would be very wrong for us to allow things continue this way. The Inspector General of Police must be summoned to explain why a serving Senator is being treated like a common criminal,” he said. Saraki, in his remarks on the motion disclosed that all efforts made by him to get across to the IG since Tuesday morning proved abortivewith non picking of his calls by the IGP.
“I’ve not been able to reach the IGP since Tuesday morning as regards Senator Melaye’s arrest by the Police.
To me the IGP’s action is an act of disrespect to this institution. This kind of altitude must stop,” he said. Earlier before Saraki’s remarks, Senators like Chukwuka Utazi ( PDP Enugu North), Isa Misau (APC Bauchi Central), Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna Central), Ubali Shittu (APC, Jigawa North East), Ibrahim Gobir (APC, Sokoto East), Mao Ohuanbunwa ( PDP, Abia North) in their contributions, lampooned the executive for not following due process over the matter .
Specifi cally Senator Shehu Sani in his contribution said: “What we saw about Dino Melaye is not going to be the history of Dino Melaye, it is going to be history of Nigeria’s democracy, it is going to be the history of the 8th National Assembly and it is going to be the history of the government in power today.” However, Senators Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa West) and Oluremi Tinubu ( APC, Lagos Central) in their contributions , cautioned against confrontational submissions by senators.
