Nigerian Police, Wednesday, responded to the allegation made by the senator representing Kogi West district at the National Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye that the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris had concluded plans to arrest and inject him to death.
The Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Jimoh Moshood described Dino’s allegation as “hate speech aimed at putting the force into disrepute before members of the public.”
The statement reads: “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to a statement in some sections of the media credited to a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye, captioned “IG plans to arrest me, inject me to death.
“The Force is categorically stating that the statement is mischievous, malicious, capable of misleading the public and laughable, there was no such order from the Inspector General of Police or any plan by the Force to arrest Senator Dino Melaye and inject him to death but if the Senator knows he had committed any crime or he is aware of his involvement in any crime, he should come out and confess and face the legal consequences instead of whipping up sentiments to distract the public.
“The Force sees such defamatory, mischievous, malicious and reckless statement by Senator Dino Melaye as untrue, ridiculous, mischievous and unfortunate. Members of the public are hereby enjoined to disregard and discountenance the statement by Senator Dino Melaye in its entirety as untrue and mischievous.
“Senator Dino Melaye is hereby called upon to know that his statement constitute a criminal defamatory offence, hate speech and hateful conduct.
”He should however as a law-maker be law-abiding and desist from un-senatorial and lawless utterances that cannot be substantiated with facts.
“The Inspector General of Police will not be distracted by statements from the likes of Senator Dino Melaye but will continue to ensure that the rule of law prevails in all matters.”