3 dead, 5 injured as Dino Melaye’s protest turned bloody in Kogi

The battle for the recall of Senator Dino Melaye by his Kogi West constituents turned bloody yesterday, as three persons were confirmed dead and five others injured during a rally in Lokoja, the state capital.


Senator Dino Melaye addressing the crowd before the stampede began.
The Senator reportedly gathered students and supporters at the gate of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, where he protested his recall, which he said was being sponsored by the state government with N1.2 billion.

Midway into his address, gunshots were heard in the crowd, as some gunmen stormed the venue from the Nataco Junction brandishing guns of different types and cutlasses with everyone scampering for safety.

The Senator’s security men quickly shielded him, as the gun battle reportedly lasted for over an hour between supporters on both sides of the divide.

Melaye’s reaction

Taking to his Twitter handle (@dino_melaye) to narrate what had transpired in a series of tweets, the embattled Senator wrote: “Two of my vehicles severally (sic) damaged with gunshots. Told one of the commissioners to Bello and LG caretaker chairman moved one of my cars (sic).”