The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has condemned in its entirety, the arrest of the Executive Director, Anti-Corruption Network, Dino Melaye by the Nigerian police during a protest at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
Melaye, who led a group of protesters to the Federal Secretariat around noon today to call for the sack of the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, over the purchase of two BMW armoured cars, was arrested by a group of policeman headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Sunday Olukoya, .
Reacting to the incident on behalf of the Coalition, its Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran described the action of the police as leaving the message to fight the messenger.
He said, “The arrest of Dino Melaye is highly reprehensible. Why should they leave the message to fight the messenger? It is like throwing the baby away with the bath water. When has it become an offence for any Nigerian to protest against what he feels is not right? That is a violation of the gentleman’s fundamental rights, which this set of our leaders swore an oath to protect. It is very unfortunate that people who rode on the back of the rule of law to get to power could turn around to deny Nigerian masses such.”
The anti-corruption crusader however urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe into the activities of the Aviation Minister for abuse of office; and also urged the agency to probe the activities of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other agencies under the Ministry of Aviation.
Abimbola Adegoke
Media Officer, CACOL
23 Oct., 2013
