Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West Senatorial District,has revealed the intricate details behind his arrest and detention at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport .
In a phone conversation with Punch, the law maker said he was already in the airport lounge waiting for departure when immigration officers invited him for questioning.
In his words:” My self and the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and others were to be on an official trip to Morocco but while some have gone through the Lagos airport today, others are to depart tomorrow.
“I got to this airport I was checked in and was already in the lounge waiting for departure. Immigration officers invited me that there is a directive from the police that I can’t travel; that I am on their watch list. And I said it was not true, that the INTERPOL said they had not issue an alert on me. I opened INTERPOL’s website and showed them the denial. But they insisted that it was based on the directive from the police.
“I was disembarked and asked me to go to their office (at the airport). They snatched my passport but I snatched my thing back from them. I got it back! I’m still here with them. They circled me and said they were waiting for further instructions from the police.”
TheNewsGuru learned that the Senator and other passengers had boarded the plane and the aircraft was about to taxi when policemen were said to have stopped the take-off, asking the passengers to disembark from the plane.
Earlier, the Police had said it would arraign Melaye and the four suspects, who were rearrested for alleged conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms at the Federal High Court in Lokoja .
TheNewsGuru will report the development as it unfolds.