‘INTERPOL’s position has vindicated me’ – Dino Melaye

Earlier today Premium Times published an email they got from International police organisation, INTERPOL, in which they disclosed why Senator Dino Melaye is not on their watch list.

The email came after after the Kogi state police command announced that it has declared Senator Dino Melaye wanted, and also alerted INTERPOL, shortly after six criminal suspects escaped from police custody.


However INTERPOL in their mail, disclosed that they don’t meddle into political, military or religious issues.

“INTERPOL examines requests by member countries to issue Red Notices to ensure compliance with INTERPOL’s constitution or rules. This includes Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, according to which it is ‘strictly forbidden for the organisation to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character. INTERPOL evaluates legal and quality compliance issues in individual cases if it becomes aware of information that may prompt reevaluation of a case”.

Reacting to the mail above, Senator Dino Melaye claimed that INTERPOL’s stand on his case with the Nigerian police, shows that the latest allegation against him were politically motivated. In a statement released on behalf of the Senator by his media aide, Gideon Ayodele, Dino Melaye who said he has been vindicated, further disclosed that he is surprised with the pronouncement.

The statement reads;

Press Statement

Tuesday, April 3, 2018


KOGI POLITICAL CRISIS: INTERPOL POSITION HAS VINDICATED SENATOR DINO MELAYE

The International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) today explained why it has refused to do the bidding of the Nigeria Police by placing Senator Dino Melaye on its Watch List, about a week after the Kogi State Command of the local police declared him wanted over pre-meditated and spurious allegations of illeagal possession of firearms and arming political thugs.

There is no doubt that the position of the INTERPOL validates his assertions and belief that the latest allegations against him were politically motivated by the Kogi State government and its agents, hence he has been vindicated from outside Nigeria since INTERPOL does not engage in “politically-motivated operations”.

We have earlier expressed our worry regarding the institution of the Nigeria Police becoming entangled in the Kogi political crisis and its partial involvement rather than a mediator or law enforcement agency. Perhaps the message to the local police will be more lounder now that INTERPOL has refused to be dragged into local and partisan politics in Kogi State.

We are not surprised by the INTERPOL pronouncement regarding Senator Dino Melaye because its charter forbids it, at least in theory, from undertaking interventions or activities of a political, military, religious, or racial nature or involving itself in disputes over such matters.

Signed:
Gideon Ayodele
Special Adviser (Media) to
Senator Dino Melaye
Abuja.

Days after the announcement, neither Melaye nor any of the remaining suspects had appeared on the red notice board on the Interpol’s website. As one of the 192 member countries with active membership of the Interpol network, the police in Nigeria said Melaye was placed on Interpol red notice.

A red notice is an alert for Interpol to locate and temporarily detain an individual pending extradition. It is issued and often published by the international crime-fighting organisation at the request of a member country or an international tribunal based on a valid national arrest warrant.