Rivers State House of Assembly Leader Chidi Lloyd has been slammed with a six-count charge by the police over the July 9 fracas in the House.
Lloyd is expected to be taken before a Magistrate’s Court in Port Harcourt, the state capital, today.
It was gathered yesterday that the charges filed against him include conspiracy, attempted murder, assault and malicious damage.
The police yesterday said they were handling the investigation into allegations against Lloyd professionally.
Police spokesman Frank Mba also said that the lawmaker was moved in an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC)from the Port Harcourt Airport to the State Police Command Headquarters.
But Rivers State Police Commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu said he had not seen Lloyd since he was brought to Port Harcourt from Abuja where he gave himself up after being declared wanted by the police.
Lloyd turned himself in to the police on July 25, following the crisis in the Assembly on July 9.
He was declared wanted by the police for his alleged role in the fracas.
Mba told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Abuja that detectives handling the case were professional.
He said it was untrue that the police tortured the detained lawmaker.
“I want to say that our handling of the investigation involving Chidi Lloyd has been as professional as possible.
“Detectives investigating that case have been very meticulous, very professional. We have done everything humanly possible to ensure that the honourable’s rights are respected.
“It is not true that he is being manhandled, it is not true that he was tear-gassed and it is also not true that he was moved from the airport to the state command headquarters in a black Maria.
“As a matter of fact, we used an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) to move him from the airport to the command headquarters. And the reasons are obvious, because of the peculiar nature of Rivers State politics.“
He said the police had enough men on ground to escort the motorcade carrying the House Leader from the airport to state police command headquarters.
“I can also assure that it is not true that Chidi Lloyd is having any health issue. He is doing very well,“ he said.
Mbu washed his hands off the case , saying Abuja is handling it.
The police chief, speaking to reporters yesterday, said he had not seen the embattled lawmaker for many months. He exonerated the Police from all allegation of torture on the legislator, insisting that the police do not torture suspects.
“The offence Chidi Lloyd committed is not an imagination, it is real and all of us may have seen it. The Police have no cause to torture him.
“I just want to clear my name, I’m not involved, I have not seen him. I saw him last physically when he came to report a case that his vehicle was hit by company’s car which we investigated and it was over.
“I want to throw more light, I have read in the newspapers that I sent about 500 riot policemen to the airport to arrest and bring Lloyd, who is in the police custody on the offence of attempted murder. “As you all know, no day passes without the name of the commissioner of police Rivers state being mentioned in your dailies. I’m so happy because all of you have made me become so popular in Nigeria and beyond.
“The case involving Rivers state House of Assembly is being investigated and handled by the deputy inspector-general of Police, force CID., Abuja.
“The said Chidi Lloyd reported in Abuja, Abuja brought him here and he is under their custody. I have not even seen him because there is a commissioner of Police in Abuja who came in with him to prosecute him.
“That is the truth about the case involving the House leader. The case is out of our hand, and I can’t even remember when I saw him except in a video clip.”
It will be recalled that the CP at a news briefing after the July 9 Assembly fracas said Llyod brought a letter requesting him to give police protection for the House sitting .
Lloyd who is representing Emuoha constituency in the House of Assembly is being detained and investigated over his roles in the July 9, free-for-all in the House.
On arrival in Port Harcourt last Friday, his lawyer, Beluolisa Nwaofor (SAN) and Emenike Ebete, raised dust over alleged torture of their client. They told Justice Esor Teetito of a State High Court that he was flown into Port Harcourt in blindfold.
They expressed fears over his safety in custody.
Source: The Nation
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