Murder: Bail Granted To Rivers House Leader

The police on Wednesday granted administrative bail to the detained leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Julius Lloyd, after spending five days in detention.

Lloyd, who represents Emohua Constituency in the House, was arrested by the police at about 6.30 pm on January 2, 2013, on an allegation that he deliberately killed a policeman, Sergeant Urang Obediah and a civilian, Mr Kingsley Ejehuo, along the East-west road on December 30, 2013.

Legal representative of the detained lawmaker, Mr. Emenike Ebete, told journalists in Port Harcourt, said he was granted administrative bail with a condition that he must deposit his international passport with the police, as well as provide two sureties, one of which must deposit a certificate of occupancy (C of O).

The arrest of Lloyd deepened the face-off between Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, as both disagreed on the allegation levelled against the lawmaker.

The police, had in a statement, said the lawmaker was arrested on his way to the Air-Force base in Port Harcourt, to join Amaechi in a private jet in an attempt to evade police arrest, even when Ebete insisted that he was with Lloyd in his residence in Port Harcourt when he was arrested.

But, the governor, who spoke through his chief press secretary, David Iyofor, said the position of the police on matter was an attempt to hoodwink the public and discredit the governor.

He said; “In another attempt to hoodwink the public and discredit the Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, the state police command had released a completely distorted and untrue account of the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the leader of the House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Lloyd on January 2, 2014.

“We emphatically state that Governor Amaechi has no private plane or jet as claimed by the police and Hon. Lloyd was nowhere near the plane that took the governor from Port Harcourt to Abuja.”

BREAKING NEWS: Rivers Assembly Majority Leader, Chidi Lloyd, Arrested For Murder

The Rivers State Police Command said it had arrested the Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, for the alleged murder of his kinsman, Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo and a police sergeant, Urang Obediah.

A statement made on Thursday night indicated that Lloyd was purportedly arrested on his way to join the state Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, in his private jet in order to escape justice.

The statement sent via e-mail by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, specified that Lloyd knocked down Obediah while pursuing Ejeuo, identified to be his political opponent.

Lloyd, who was still standing trial for his involvement in the fracas that took place in the State House on July 9, 2013, was said to have rammed into Ejeuo’s Passat car with a bulletproof vehicle and killed him (Ejeo).

The police command pointed out that it had initially thought it was an auto accident until Lloyd relocated to another hospital, “conscious of what he did.”

“The Rivers State Police Command has arrested Hon. Chidi Llyod of the Rivers State House of Assembly for murder of police Sgt. Urang Obediah 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 Obediah, 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 Elder 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, a top government official told our correspondent that the claim by the police that Lloyd tried to join Amaechi in his (Amaechi) private jet in order to escape justice was a blatant lie.

It will be recalled that Lloyd, who presented himself to the Nigeria Police after a video clip showed him hitting a member of the House of Assembly, Mr. Michael Chinda, with a mace on the head, 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 State House of Assembly.