Police Arrest Rivers Lawmaker, Chidi Lloyd Over Alleged Murder
The Rivers State Police Command says that it has arrested the Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, for the alleged murder of Mr Kingsley Ejeuo and a police sergeant, Mr Urang Obadiah.
A statement issued by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Ahmad Mohammad, said that “Mr. Lloyd was arrested on his way to join the state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, in his private jet in order to escape justice”.
The statement added that “Mr Lloyd knocked down Mr. Obadiah while pursuing Ejeuo, identified to be his political opponent”.
According to the police, Mr. lloyd, who is still standing trial for his involvement in the fracas that took place in the Rivers State House of Assembly on July 9, 2013, was said to have rammed into Ejeuo’s Passat car with a bulletproof vehicle and killed him (Ejeo).
“The Rivers State Police Command has arrested Hon. Chidi Llyod of the Rivers State House of Assembly for murder of police Sgt. Urang Obadiah and Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo, his kinsman and arch political opponent.
“He was arrested on his way to join Governor Amaechi Rotimi in his private jet at the Airforce Base to escape justice.
“Hon. Chidi Lloyd on December 30, 2013 while pursing his political opponent, knocked down Sgt. Urang Obadiah, in spite of his effort to stop him, rammed and killed him and went ahead to crush the Passat car of Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo was driving and killed him.
“Initially the Police thought that it was a mere accident, which ought to have been a manslaughter. The Commissioner of Police directed ACP Aliyu Garba, the Area Commander Metro, to visit him in his hospital bed and commiserate with him, conscious of what he did, Chidi Lloyd relocated to another hospital.
“Facts emerged that Chidi Lloyd drove a bullet-proof vehicle while pursuing his political opponent, late Mr Kingsley Ejeuo, and he (Lloyd) knocked down Sgt. Urang Obediah, who died on the spot and (Lloyd) moved ahead to smash a political opponent in his Passat car who equally died instantly,” the statement reads.The statement added that late Ejeuo, who hailed from the same place with Lloyd was believed to be in the PDP camp led by Mr Felix Obuah.
The statement also indicated that the Leader of the House allegedly escaped from the hospital where he was being guarded by four policemen.
However, in a swift reaction, the Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Rivers state governor, Mr Paul Iyofor in a telephone interview with Channels Television denied the claims and said the “Rivers State police command had released a completely distorted and untrue account of the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Lloyd on January 2, 2014.”
He revealed that “it was when the governor got to Abuja that he was told that Chidi Lloyd was arrested in his house; in the presence of his family and lawyer” adding that the lawyer confirmed to the press that the arrest was made in Chidi Lloyd’s house.
He noted that the the state police commissioner had grounded the plane that “was supposed to take the governor from Port Harcourt to Abuja because he was about to escape with Chid Lloyd” insisting that Chidi Llloyd was not with us; (he) was nowhere near us.”
He said Commissioner Mbu came on board later and was asked by the governor why he stopped them from flying and he was making “baseless comments that nobody could understand”.
Furthermore, Iyofor noted that the commissioner was disrespectful to Amaechi when he called the Inspector General to lay his complaint.
“While the governor was speaking to the I.G, he was shouting at the top of his voice, he showed disrespect and disregard to the governor” insisting that “he was shouting, trying very hard to disrupt the conversation between the governor and the Inspector General of Police” he said.
Iyofor berated the strained relationship between the governor and the police commissioner and urged him to respect the office of the governor of Rivers state if he won’t respect Rotimi Amechi.
It will be recalled that Lloyd, who presented himself to the Nigeria Police after a video clip of him hitting another lawmaker, Mr. Michael Chinda, with a mace on the head, went viral, was charged to court on a six-count charge, including attempted murder.
Lloyd was later granted bail in order to receive medical attention after sustaining injury during the July 9, 2013 free-for-all in the chambers of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
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