Senior Nigeria lawyer Femi Falana has condemned the arraignment of Senator Dino Melaye on a stretcher by the police, saying it was a violation of the lawmaker’s fundamental human rights. The senator representing Kogi West was arraigned on Thursday before a Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court over allegation he supplied arms to some murder suspects in the state.
Melaye had been arraigned at the Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse, Abuja, for criminal conspiracy, causing damage to government property, attempted suicide and escape from lawful custody. Police said he was arraigned because he had been confirmed fit for trial by the management of the National Hospital. The lawmaker was taken to the hospital after purportedly jumping out of a moving police vehicle on Tuesday, April 24.
He was being taken to Kogi for arraignment over the aforementioned arms allegation. Melaye had been declared wanted by the police over his refusal to report at the Kogi Police Command for questioning. But he has since denied the allegation, describing it as politically motivated. And reacting to this, Falana said Melaye’s arraignment was a humiliation.
"The arraignment of Senator Dino Melaye on a stretcher in Abuja on Wednesday and Lokoja on Thursday morning is unacceptable in a civilised society,” he said.“It is particularly degrading and humiliating as it violates the fundamental right to the dignity of his person guaranteed by Section 34 of the constitution and Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.”
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