Ex-Lawmaker Dino Melaye Makes First Court Appearance As Lawyer

Former federal lawmaker who represented Kogi West in the 8th Senate, Barrister Dino Melaye, made his courtroom debut yesterday, appearing in full wig and gown for the first time since his call to the Nigerian Bar, as he stepped into Court 8 of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

“Senator Dino Melaye @ the Federal High Court Abuja today. Appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite of Court 8,” the politician‑turned‑lawyer wrote on his verified Facebook page shortly after the brief proceeding.

LEADERSHIP reports that Melaye, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was among more than 5,000 new lawyers formally admitted to the Nigerian Bar in Abuja in early July after completing his law degree at Baze University.

Friday’s appearance marked his public debut in legal practice, underscoring what aides described as “the next chapter” of a career that has spanned activism, reality television, and two terms in the National Assembly’s House of Representatives and Senate, respectively.

Court officials confirmed that the matter before Justice Nwite was adjourned to a later date; details of the case remained confidential. Inside the courtroom, Melaye was seen exchanging brief pleasantries with colleagues before proceedings began.