Dino Melaye Opens Up on Ordeal Under Former AGF Malami
The political landscape in Nigeria has been set abuzz as Senator Dino Melaye Opens Up about the psychological and legal trauma he endured during the tenure of the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. Melaye’s reflections come at a poignant moment, coinciding with the recent legal challenges and public trials currently facing the former justice minister. In a deeply personal narrative, the former Kogi West representative described the period under Malami’s oversight as an era of targeted persecution, where the machinery of the state was allegedly weaponized against dissenting voices and political rivals.
Melaye recounted how he was subjected to a flurry of court cases, arrests, and intense surveillance, which he characterizes as a systematic attempt to silence his activism and oversight functions in the National Assembly. He noted that the trial of Malami today serves as a stark reminder of the “poetic justice” that often follows the exercise of absolute power. According to Melaye, the legal onslaught he faced was not merely about law enforcement but was a calculated strategy to break his spirit and drain his resources. He pointed out that several of the charges leveled against him during that period eventually crumbled in court, which he believes validates his claim that the prosecutions were politically motivated.
The former Senator did not hold back in his critique of the previous administration’s judicial handling, suggesting that the Office of the Attorney General under Malami frequently overstepped its bounds to serve narrow interests. Melaye expressed a sense of vindication, stating that the very same legal system Malami once presided over is now scrutinizing his own actions. He emphasized that his ordeal, which famously included dramatic confrontations with security forces and high stakes legal battles, was a price he paid for refusing to be intimidated by the executive’s perceived excesses.
As the public follows the unfolding trial of the former AGF, Melaye’s commentary adds a layer of historical context to the debate over judicial independence and executive overreach in Nigeria. He maintains that his story is a lesson in resilience for upcoming politicians, urging them to remain steadfast in their convictions regardless of the pressure from the center. By drawing parallels between his past suffering and the current plight of his former persecutor, Melaye is positioning himself as a survivor of a “dark era” in Nigerian democratic governance, advocating for a future where the law is applied fairly to all, regardless of their status.