The police have docked Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West on a nine-count charge bothering on obstruction and resisting lawful arrest.
He was arraigned before a High Court of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama division alongside his domestic staff, Silas Omenka.
However the senator who was detained for over two weeks by the police, pleaded not guilty to all the charges. While granting him bail, Justice Halilu Yusuf said the bail conditions set for the senator last week should be maintained.
His counsel, Chief Mike Ozekome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who moved a fresh application for bail, prayed the court to sustain the bail conditions as granted on January 18, which had already been fulfilled.
Counsel to the Inspector-General of Police, Magaji Labaran, did not oppose the bail application but, however, prayed the court for a more stringent bail condition.
Ozekome, in response to Labaran, argued that Melaye is a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and he had been given his passport to travel abroad before now and he returned, so the question of jumping bail or interfering with investigations does not arise.
He also noted that the police would have concluded with investigations before arraigning the senator. He further explained that the accused person is standing election for the senatorial seat on February 16 and as such would not run away and lose the election.
Yussuf adjourned the matter till February 25, for hearing.
The court had last Friday granted the senator bail but the police refused to release him from custody despite perfecting all the conditions.
