Skip to main content

It’s true, I threatened, abused Tinubu – Melaye

senator melayeAt last, embattled Senator Dino Melaye of the All Progressives Congress, representing Kogi west, has confirmed that he threatened and abused Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the senator representing Lagos central, during the senate’s closed-door session on Tuesday.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that Melaye, however, denied using some of the words reported by the media.

Senators at the session told the online medium on Wednesday that Melaye verbally assaulted Tinubu, and used offensive words against her.

A source quoted Melaye as saying, “Look this is not Bourdillon (referring to the famous Lagos residence of Mrs. Tinubu’s politician husband). I will beat you up, ….. impregnate you and nothing will happen.”

But addressing a press conference Thursday, Senator Melaye said he never spoke about impregnating Senator Tinubu, whom he said had reached menopause.

He said he did not use “insolent, abusive, degrading and mannerless language against any Senator”.

“How could I have said I would beat and impregnate her at the same time?” Melaye asked.

Melaye, however, admitted using harsh words, but did not say what they were.

He said he reacted furiously because he was provoked.

“I did it because I am not a coward,” said Melaye, a former member of the House of Representatives, who frequently demonstrated unruly conduct during sittings.

Giving details of Tuesday’s altercation, sources said trouble started when Melaye urged the Senate to descend heavily on members who had offered to serve as prosecution witnesses in the ongoing forgery case against Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.

The Kogi senator is said to have accused the senators of being used by the presidency to destabilise the Senate and warned them to be ready to face the consequences of their action.

“You should go and tell those who sent you that nobody, I said nobody, no matter who he is, can ever control this Senate,” Melaye was quoted as saying as he pointed at the affected senators, his face contorted in rage.

Sources said Tinubu, wife of former Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu, later addressed the senate, saying: “I’m just wondering why whenever Senator Dino speaks in this chamber, he is always threatening people and behaving childishly and at times like a thug.

“I think he needs to know that every senator here represents their constituencies. And that there is no need to threaten anyone.

“We are seeking and working towards reconciliation, yet you are busy issuing threats.”

Apparently infuriated by the remarks, Melaye jumped from his seat and charged towards his Lagos counterpart.

“Look this is not Bourdillon (referring to the famous Lagos residence of Mrs. Tinubu’s politician husband). I will beat you up, ….. impregnate you and nothing will happen,” Melaye threatened.

Witnesses said as Melaye charged towards the Lagos senator, other senators, especially those from the South-West geopolitical zone, waded in and shielded Tinubu from attack, and then calmed her down.

A few other senators also prevailed on Melaye to take it easy and let peace reign, sources said.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...

Man docked for defiling 9-year-old girl

magistrate-court A 33-year-old man, Godwin Otobo, was on Monday docked at a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.For allegedly defiling a nine-year-old girl, ‎Otobo, who lives at No. 10, Borrow Pit St., Sangotedo-Ajah area of Lagos, was said to have defiled the underage girl whose parents also reside in the same compound. The Prosecutor, Sgt. Anthonia Osayande, told the court that the accused committed the offence at about 9.00 p.m. sometimes in September. “The accused defiled the girl in the night when she was fetching water.‎ “The offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011,’’ Osayande told the court. The accused pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of defilement. Ruling on a bail application filed by the accused, Chief Magistrate Ipaye Nwachukwu, granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum. She said one of the sureties must be a property owner in Lagos State, while the other must be a civil servant on grade...