Rivers assembly raises the alarm over Lloyd’s safety

JULY 27, 2013 BY CHUKWUDI AKASIKE, PORT HARCOURT 

Mr. Chidi Lloyd
| credits: kevindjakpor.blogspot.com

The Rivers State House of Assembly on Friday raised the alarm over the whereabouts and safety of its detained Majority Leader, Mr. Chidi Lloyd.

Lloyd was said to have been driven to Port Harcourt from Abuja by the police blindfolded.

The lawmaker, who has been in police custody for the past four days, was expected to be arraigned in court after the trip from Abuja.

The police surprisingly failed to arraign the lawmaker, who was charged with assault for hitting a member of the House representing Obio/Akpor Constituency 2, Mr. Michael Chinda, with a mace.

It was gathered that the Majority Leader of the House was taken to the Police Officers’ Mess in the state capital, where he was allegedly kept for several hours without being arraigned.

Lloyd had earlier filed a suit at the high court against the violation of his fundamental human rights, even as the matter was mentioned for hearing on Friday.

But speaking with newsmen, the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Leyii Kwanee, said Lloyd was flown from Abuja to Port Harcourt blindfolded like a common criminal.

“Just this morning, I was informed that Chidi Lloyd was flown into Port Harcourt blindfolded. Shortly after that, I have to rush to the high court, where we are standing now, thinking that he would be arraigned.

“I can see that it is almost 5 pm and Lloyd is nowhere to be found. We are just worried about his safety. You can recall the case of Abiola. He (Abiola) was kept in police custody and shortly before he was released, he died suddenly,” the deputy speaker added.

Earlier in the high court sitting in Port Harcourt, counsel to the embattled Majority Leader had cried out over the whereabouts and safety of their client.

Contacted to react to the claim that the Majority Leader was blindfolded by security operatives, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Angela Agabe, declined to make any comment.

Agabe explained that she could not rely on a mere hearsay without being briefed on the matter.

SOURCE: The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper 27 July 2013.