Senator Dino Melaye’s younger brother has accused the Federal Government and police of turning the Senator’s life into a nightmare.

Moses Melaye made the claim during an appearance on Politics Today on Wednesday, six days into the police siege on his brother’s residence in Nigeria’s capital Abuja.

“This government and the police have made the life of my brother, Senator Dino Melaye, a living hell for the last few months,” said, insisting that his family had reasons to believe that the police are out to harm his brother.

This, according to him, is because the grounds and allegations based on which the police want to arrest the Senator are “unfounded”.

The police had stormed Senator Melaye’s residence on December 28 to arrest him for what the force said was “a case of criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide committed on July 19, 2018”.

Although the Senator said he was not in the house and would make himself available to the police this week, police officers remained stationed at his house with the force insisting it won’t leave until the Senator turns himself in.

Moses, however, rejected the allegation that thugs in the convoy of the Senator had, based on his order, attacked policemen shooting one of them in the process.

He said, “The case they are raising against him happened in July. I was there in the car; the policemen shot at us. My car had over six bullets riddled on that car. How can they turn around all of a sudden that we are the ones shooting at the police?

“Our security men and policemen have been taken away since over seven-eight months ago. So, how do we now become the persons shooting? That story is not true. It is unfounded and because of the injustice on a daily basis, we cannot trust or believe anything they do. I believe that they are out to harm my brother. If not, what is the desperation?”

Senator Melaye had several run-ins with the police in 2018 and his brother said the family was used to the police showing up to search the residence.

Narrating what such a visit is usually like, he said, “I would search them before they enter the house, then when they are done I will sign that they’ve searched and they didn’t find anything and they did not steal or take anything from the house then they will leave in my very presence.”

His experience on December 28 was different, according to him.

“On this particular occasion, they went into the compound, arrested the security man, beat him up and cuffed him,” he said, adding that the same thing was done to the cleaner and the bodyguard.

Since the siege began, the Senator’s whereabouts have remained the subject of speculation. Contrary to his claims, the police believe he is in the house.

On Wednesday, the Senator had posted a video to Twitter in which he avoided directly speaking about his ordeal but took subtle shots at the police and talking up his spiritual beliefs.

“They depend on chariot, horses, power, authority and guns. But I come to them in the name of Jehovah, the Lord God of hosts. I trust you. It is well, it is well, it is well,” the Senator said among other things.

Asked about Senator Melaye’s whereabouts, Moses said, “I cannot confirm categorically because they have not allowed anybody into that compound. They shut the house; they are the ones opening (the) gate and closing gate.”

He also accused the police of failing to realise the pain they have caused the family, saying, “There are dogs in that house, we have food, my parents are supposed to be in that house as we speak; Dino is not the only occupant of that house. There are staffs, so we don’t even know. They’ve not allowed anybody, family member or staffs access into that compound.”

•Excerpted from a Channels TV report

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