A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Justice Latan Nyordee has on Wednesday granted Chidi Lloyd, the embattled leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly bail after weeks of detention in police custody. Lloyd pleaded not guilty to the 6-count charge which included attempted murder, conspiracy and willful destruction of government property, among others, following his role on the 9th July 2013 free for all fight that rocked the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Lloyd was earlier declared wanted by the police after he failed to report when he was invited for interrogation, but later turned himself in and was consequently detained.
Granting him bail, the presiding Judge, Justice Nyordee said bail does not mean that an accused has been set free, but to enable him go home and prepare for the prosecution of his case.
Lloyd was granted bail with the sum of N10m and 3 sureties, one who must be a Civil Servant of Grade Level 16 and the other 2 must have landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.
He was asked to submit his international passport.
Counsel to the accused (Leader), Beluolisa Nwafor (SAN) moved the motion for his bail. The Judge also granted leave to the Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Wogu Boms Esq to take over the prosecution from the police counsel, Dee Wigwe. The case was adjourned to 21/11/2013 for hearing.
The Newswriter however, gathered that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stormed Rivers State, with a view to quizzing public office holders in the state, especially the leadership of the House of Assembly. This Weekly reliably gathered that Operatives of the EFCC quizzed the leader, Lloyd in detention on the management and movement of funds in the Assembly.
We learnt that Lloyd was also questioned on how the governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi finances the House. Reacting to this development, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Leyii Kwanee condemned the act, accusing the police of only persecuting the leader because of his support for governor Amaechi.
However the spokesman of the five anti-Amaechi lawmakers, Hon. Evans Bipi has faulted the Deputy Speaker’s position, insisting that investigation of the Assembly leadership was long overdue. Bipi said EFCC should not only quiz Lloyd, but extend the investigation to the entire principal officers, including the speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree.
Bipi who is in the centre stage of the botched impeachment move to unseat the speaker, stressed that the probing of the anti-graft agency into the Rivers State House of Assembly and by extension the Executive is well-deserved.
The Felix Obuah led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Executive in the state has thrown its weight behind the EFCC investigation. Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Jerry Needam, the PDP chairman said the EFCC should not only investigate, the Assembly leadership, governor, but should include the State First Lady, Dame Judith in the probe.
PDP said this has become necessary in view of the huge sums of money lavished on Mrs. Amaechi’s pet project, the Empower Support Initiative (ESI) in the state.
Some Human Rights Activists have criticized the police to have singled out Chidi Lloyd for prosecution, leaving out other principal actors, like Evans Bipi in the free for all fight for fairness, equity and justice.
Barth Ndu
