- Why he wasn’t set free even after bail
- We enjoyed the big man’s stay – Hospital staff
Except that his leg was bandaged, embattled lawmaker, representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye, was his normal jovial and optimistic self when our correspondents visited him on his hospital bed, on Friday, at a luxurious private care facility, the Intensive Care Unit of the National Trauma Centre, National Hospital, Abuja.
Melaye, who was granted bail in the sum of N10million by a Lokoja High Court, presided over by Justice Nasir Ajanah, last Thursday, was still under medical supervision at the National Hospital, where he was still being held on Friday, even after he had been granted bail.
When our correspondents visited on Friday, Melaye was burbling with life despite his publicised health challenges. He appeared happy and demonstrated the optimism that he would surely regain freedom within a short time just as an aide told our correspondent that the lawmaker was determined to continue what he described as the “fight against
oppression.”
Senator Dino Melaye is the subject of a crucial national issue, who is although here in the National Hospital, but is seriously detached from the public. Only the dedicated consultants assigned to him by the hospital management have access to him
THE AUGUST PATIENT
The Point authoritatively reports that the security squad deployed to guard him include 15 uniformed police men and six plainclothes officers, who manned four entrances leading to his deluxe apartment at the Intensive Care Unit of the National Hospital.
Melaye, who eventually gained freedom, and left the hospital at about 8pm on Saturday, was on the first floor of the National Trauma Centre, where his visitors could only be allowed in after a detailed check by the security personnel.
The senator, who commanded no mean number of important dignitaries, was in a blue T-Shirt and a three-quarter pair of trousers, while he rested his back on support provided by pillows, when our correspondents visited.
He was the only patient in the heavily air-conditioned expanse ward of the ICU, last Friday.
While his visitors prayed for his quick recovery, the senator nodded, saying “Amen,” even as he shook the hands of nearly all those who were close to his sick bed, including our correspondents.
‘WE’RE ENJOYING THE BIG MAN’S STAY’
However, findings around his luxurious ward and at the hospital, in general, showed that both junior and senior medical staff were being very careful in their discussions about anything concerning their august inpatient.
Some of them, especially junior staff, discussed in hushed tones as they moved hurriedly along the hall, in their attempt to avoid providing answers to questions on direction posed by our
correspondents.
A medical doctor, who eventually spoke to our correspondents on the condition of anonymity, also did not provide a definite answer to questions on the real state of health of the most popular lawmaker in the 8th Nigerian Senate.
“Senator Dino Melaye is the subject of a crucial national issue, who is although here in the National Hospital, but is seriously detached from the public. Only the dedicated consultants assigned to him by the hospital management have access to him,” he said.
When The Point interacted with the cleaners, who took care of Melaye’s ward, they appeared very happy having the embattled lawmaker around.
One of them, who moved quickly out of the scene as she spoke with our correspondent, said, “We are enjoying the big man o despite the heavy security. He jokes with us a lot.”
WHY HE’S STILL BEING HEAVILY GUARDED
When asked why Melaye was still being held days after he perfected his bail conditions, a close associate of the senator, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the policemen guarding him had earlier said that they had yet to receive signal from their
superiors.
“But as at evening, yesterday (Friday), they said they got the signal…They were paid for the dirty job,” he added, while condemning the delay.
The Point had reported last week that Melaye’s kinsmen had vowed that his innocence would not only be proved, but that neither his continued incarceration nor the alleged scheme to expel him from the ruling All Progressives Congress would produce results.
The kinsmen, who spoke in separate interviews with our correspondent, during a week-long visit to the senator’s Kogi West Senatorial District, said many Nigerians were not aware of the kind of support he enjoyed in his constituency, and Kogi State in general.
According to them, many of those who have made a name in Kogi State today, including Governor Yahaya Bello, benefitted from Melaye’s political structures, which have continued to grow stronger even in his
absence.
“Even his enemies cannot deny the fact that he is an inevitable grassroots mobiliser, who must be consulted before any meaningful political decision is made in Kogi State,” one of the APC leaders in the state, who asked not to be named, had said.
Melaye was arrested by the Police in Abuja on April 23, 2018, but while being conveyed to Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, the next day, to be arraigned in court for conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, the police alleged that he attempted to escape by jumping down from their vehicle. He was later arraigned by the Police in Abuja on charges bearing on his alleged
escape.
