Kogi govt accuses Melaye of planning mayhem

The Kogi State Government has alleged there are "covert plans by Senator Dino Melaye to cause mayhem and bloodshed in Kogi State.&q...

The Kogi State Government has alleged there are "covert plans by Senator Dino Melaye to cause mayhem and bloodshed in Kogi State."

A statement issued on Monday in Lokoja by the spokesman for the governor, Kingsley Fanwo, stated that the office of the State Security Adviser had uncovered "orchestrated plan to destabilise the state.

He said Melaye, senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, was set to disturb the peace of the state through violence in the name of political campaigns.

"According to the highly credible report, the senator is planning to visit the Kupa area in the Lokoja Local Government Area to launch campaign of calumny against the government of Kogi State. The choice of Kupa was informed by the solid support of the APC in the area.


"It is expected that the people will resist the use of 'Dino language' on the government, which will lead to attack on the defenceless people by the armed thugs which Dino is planning to convey to the place.

"The intelligence also revealed that the thugs to be imported from a neighbouring state where a political godfather just lost a House of Reps election, are to wear black T-Shirts with the inscription, 'DSS' to create an impression that they are security operatives. The thugs are to be conveyed in a white Hilux vehicle.  A notorious thug from Lokoja has also been co-opted into the Satanic plan."

Fanwo said Melaye, like every other candidate, had the right to campaign for votes but urged the senator to honour the "process for peaceful campaigns" by dealing with constituted authorities charged with the responsibility of ensuring peaceful campaigns.

"A lawmaker cannot continue to be a law-breaker. We are not stopping anyone from peaceful campaigns but government will not tolerate plans that will threaten the lives of the citizens in the name of politics. Kogi State Government values life more than politics."

Efforts to get Melaye to react to the allegations through phone calls proved abortive. He also did not respond to a message sent via WhatsApp as of the time of filing this report.