RIVERS ASSEMBLY CRISIS: Chidi Lloyd Detained Again?

Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly Chidi Lloyd in the clinic after being beaten by armed thugs

For the Rivers State House of Assembly majority leader, Chidi Lloyd, his detention experience with the Nigerian police was like being thrown from the frying pan to fire.

Released in Abuja Friday morning,after spending more than 48 hours with the Police Headquarters, Lloyd was flown to Port Harcourt and arrived 8.45 a.m.

And it was straight into another round of detention on the orders of police commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu, the political police boss, the National Assembly has asked the Inspector General of Police to kick out of the state for peace to reign.

According to Bello Olisa Nwafor, Lloyd’s counsel, Lloyd’s whereabouts is now unknown, after Mbu ordered his detention.

Nwafor said he suspected Lloyd was being subjected to inhuman treatment by Mbu’s men.

He alleged that Lloyd was blindfolded shortly after his arrival to Port Harcourt from the Force Headquarters of the Nigerian Police, Abuja today.

He expressed fears that the continued blind folding and detention of Chidi Lloyd by the police was dangerous to his health and life while in custody. Nwafor said his client has been detained at the force headquarters above the one-day that was allowed.

Lloyd was flown into Port Harcourt in the early hours of Friday, and instead of bringing him to court he was detained Nwafor said

He argued that the Police would have brought him to court to defend himself, because keeping him back is dangerous as he was blindfolded. And expressed concern about his life.

Nwafor also called on the Rivers State Police Command to be transparent in their actions of taking his client (Chidi Lloyd) to court to enable him express his fundamental rights.

“If the Police have nothing to hide, they would have brought Chidi Lloyd to court this morning. He is still not brought to court till about 5pm, and you know that, even an armed robber is brought to court with a Black Maria, why won’t he (Chidi) be brought to court. If he is brought to court, then, we pray that he should be alive,”Nwafor said.

He said the Chief Justice of the Federation has made rules that we are following at the Federal High Court and the High Court, that they both have concurrent jurisdiction to hear fundamental rights application’, Nwafor said.

The Deputy Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Leyii Kwanee has joined other well-meaning Nigerians to criticize the delay by the police in bringing his colleague to court to enable him express his fundamental rights.

Kwanee equally expressed fears that the handcuff and torture of his colleague Chidi Lloyd poses a dangerous signal in a democratic dispensation as he is considered innocent until a competent court proves him otherwise.

“We don’t know what the police authorities are doing with Chidi Lloyd. I gathered few hours ago that he was at the Police Officers’ Mess, but now it is about 5pm, Chidi Lloyd is not in court, nobody knows what might happen to him.

Kwanee said Lloyd handcuffed and tortured. Even if there are assumptions that he committed any crime, he deserves an opportunity to express himself before he can be charged to court.
He stated nobody has the right to torture Chidi Lloyd, not to talk of any Nigerian”,
Hon. Kwanee said.

The lawmaker further warned that the perpetrators of injustice against Lloyd and the Amaechi led administration would soon be made to pay for their actions, stating that Nigeria is signatory to several international laws and treaties, and would ensure members of the Assembly get justice through the Hague.

“I want to warn that, the world is a global village,and that, if the courts in Nigeria refuses to allow citizens express their rights, Nigeria is a signatory to several laws, and we can bring them to justice even at the Hague.

Kwanee expressed regrets and disappointment on the police that Chidi Lloyd was invited to the police force headquarters, Abuja for alleged conspiracy, describing the action of the police as a grand plan to undermine democracy in Rivers State and the developmental strides of Governor Amaechi administration.

“If you recalled what happened, Chidi Lloyd was invited by the police force headquarters, Abuja for alleged conspiracy. It is possible to conspire with oneself, who are the conspirators?”

In the same vein,Emenike Ebete who accompanied Hon. Lloyd from the police force headquarters, Abuja to Port Harcourt confirmed that “We arrived Port Harcourt at 8.45am this morning, and over 500 policemen escorted Chidi Lloyd from the Port Harcourt Airport to the office of the Commissioner of Police.

He was blindfolded when he highlighted from the black maria as if he was a common criminal. He walked into the CP’s office and spent about three minutes, after that we have not known his where abouts”, he said.

Source: PM News