Police arrest Melaye, brother, doctors; harass reporters; move senator to National Hospital

For telling them that a patient must be medically fit before being moved, policemen, on Tuesday evening, arrested two doctors at Zanklin Hospital, Abuja.
The doctors had insisted that the state of health of Senator Dino Melaye must be medically ascertained before the policemen move him out in an ambulance marked NPF 221 D.
Melaye’s brother, who was also with him, was taken away by the policemen, led by the FCT Commissioner, Mr Sadiq Bello.
It was learned that Melaye was taken to the National Hospital, Abuja.
He was moved out on a stretcher into the waiting ambulance at 9:21pm.
Before the arrest, three reporters of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) were harassed  by a policeman at Zanklin Hospital.
The reporters, Joseph Edeh, Johnson Eyiangho and Harrison Arubu, were at the hospital to find out the health status of Melaye when the policeman pounced  on Edeh and ordered him out of the hospital premises.
He threatened  that if  Edeh failed to leave as ordered, he would disgrace him.
“Are you a patient? What are you here for, get out or you will be disgraced,“ he yelled.
All efforts by Edeh and his colleagues to explain to him that they were journalists who came to the hospital to ascertain the health status of the senator fell on deaf ears.
Thereafter, the police officer moved closer to Arubu and snatched his cell phone accusing him of attempting to make phone calls.
Heavily armed policemen, including personnel of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), took positions in and around the hospital.
A statement by the Force Spokesman, ACP Jimoh Moshood, said that  Melaye escaped from lawful police custody while being taken for arraignment in Federal High Court, Lokoja, from Abuja.
He alleged that hoodlums and miscreants in two Toyota Hilux vehicles blocked the police vehicle conveying Melaye around Area 1 roundabout and took him to an unknown destination.
“The Police team re-enforced and trailed Sen. Dino Melaye to Zankli Hospital, Abuja, where he was re-arrested.
“ The Senator would be arraigned in court without further delay,“he said.
Meanwhile, Moshood said that one of the Toyota Hilux vehicles used by the hoodlums and miscreants in aiding the escape of the Senator had been recovered by the police investigation team.
He said the Inspector -General of Police had directed a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the rescue and escape of Melaye from lawful custody.