Mr. Bello said Mr. Melaye is notorious for violence and advised him to respect his constituents' freedom to exercise their constitutional rights.
Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello, has blamed Mr. Dino Melaye, the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, for Monday’s violence, claimed the life of Saka Seidu, a student of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja.
The governor made this known in a statement issued on Monday by his Chief Press Secretary, Petra Akinti Onyegbule. According to the statement, the violence was stirred by Mr. Melaye in a bid to thwart his constituents’ ongoing attempt to recall him from the Senate.
Mr. Bello said Mr. Melaye is notorious for violence and advised him to respect his constituents' freedom to exercise their constitutional rights.
He recalled that his government petitioned the Presidency and the Inspector-General of Police in January on the likelihood of an outbreak of violence, but wondered why no action was taken.
He called on security agencies to ensure that there is no repeat of the unfortunate incident.
He also claimed that despite his efforts at ensuring safety and security in the state, Mr. Melaye has continued to orchestrate violence to save his drowning political career.
The governor restated his commitment to ensuring continuous security and safety of lives and properties in the state.
Mr. Bello expressed regret at the turn of events and counseled the people of the state, especially the youths, to avoid being tools in the hands of politicians.
“The Governor sincerely regrets the unfortunate incident and calls on the people, youth and students of Kogi State to remain calm, law-abiding and refrain from taking laws into their hands in the face of an imminent threat to their life and security, whilst assuring them of continued safety and maintenance of security in the State,” the statement said.
