by Samuel Okike

If there’s one person who has consistently been under the intense scrutiny of online news platform Sahara Reporters which prides itself in ‘encouraging citizen journalists to report corruption,’ it’s definitely Senator Dino Melaye.

Since assuming office in June 2015, he has been faced with all sorts of scandal and controversy.

In December 2015, Dino Melaye was accused of operating a checking and savings account with a US bank, which is in violation of Nigeria’s law. It was later reported that he used the said US bank account to pay a New York Dermatologist to remove a tattoo of his ex-wife’s name from his body.

When we thought that was it, in reality, it was only the beginning of more scandalous headlines in his name.

He launched into 2016 with more scandal. Melaye criticised Edo state Governor Adams Oshiomhole for “importing his wife” rather than marrying a Nigerian woman, according to reports in March. He reportedly said this while contributing to a motion seeking the need to patronise products made in Nigeria.

A short period of silence, then a bigger bombshell dropped in July when Melaye threatened to beat up Senator Oluremi Tinubu and ‘impregnate’ her on the floor of the Senate.

All these were between 2015 to 2016, and we’ve barely scratched the surface. We could go on and on.

In 2017, another bombshell was dropped: ‘Harvard University Denies Senator Dino Melaye Ever Studied There, Only Attended A One-Week Seminar.’ This single news story would in turn birth a fresh series of scandalous headlines, the latest of which we saw today – a leaked tape supposedly of Dino Melaye offering bribe to tribunal judge Akoh Ikpeme.

What is, however, striking about the allegations against Dino Melaye is that they were all broken by or as a result of investigations by – you guessed it – Sahara Reporters.

Don’t get it wrong, Sahara Reporters is doing a wonderful job of exposing corruption and holding government officials accountable, but looking at the way they stay ‘on top of his matter,’ one wonders if they have a vested interest.