Police declare Rivers Assembly majority leader, Chidi Lloyd, wanted

You all remember the law maker who was filmed hitting his colleague with the mace during the mayhem at Rivers State Assembly last week? Yeah well, he's been declared wanted by the police.

Punch reports

Following the free-for-all that took place in the chambers of the Rivers State House of Assembly, the state Police Command has declared the Majority Leader, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, wanted.

Lloyd was on Wednesday declared wanted  for his involvement in a case of conspiracy, attempted murder, wounding and willful damage on Monday last week.

The lawmaker, representing Emohua State Constituency, was caught in a video footage hitting a member of the House of Assembly, Mr. Michael Chinda, several times with a mace during the fracas in the Assembly.

Chinda, whose health condition became worse after the incident, had since been flown abroad for proper medical attention. He represents Obio/Akpor Constituency II in the State House of Assembly.

The injured legislator was one of the five lawmakers that attempted to impeach the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Otelemaba Amachree.

In a statement by the state Police Public Relations, Mrs. Angela Agabe, the command explained that Lloyd was declared wanted after he failed to honour the invitation of the police, which elapsed on July 16, 2013.

“The Rivers State Police Command has declared wanted one Honorable Chidi Lloyd (male); a native of Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. He is the Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“He (Lloyd) was involved in a case of conspiracy, attempted murder, wounding and willful damage on the 9th of July, 2013,” the command’s statement read.

The crime, according to the statement, is being investigated by a special team from the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, in collaboration with the State Criminal Investigative Department, Rivers State Command.

It noted that the lawmaker was last seen at the Rivers State House of Assembly on July 9, 2013 and called on any person or group of persons with information of Lloyd’s whereabouts to call 0808088890 or 08033277007.

Reacting to the development, the State Peoples Democratic Party described police declaration of Lloyd wanted as a welcome development.

A statement by the Special Adviser, Media, to the State PDP Chairman, Mr. Jerry Needam, urged the Police to also arrest and investigate the Aide-de-Camp and Chief Security Officer to the state Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.

However, the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Leyii Kwanee, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the police to declare Lloyd wanted.

Kwanee, who spoke in a telephone interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, said the fracas in the state House of Assembly was not the first.

The deputy speaker recalled that lawmakers had fought in the National Assembly in the past without the police declaring anybody wanted.

In a related development, the Force Headquarters, Abuja, has summoned Lloyd; the ADC to the Rivers State Governor,  Debeware-Semeikumo; and the Chief Security Officer  to the Governor, Tony Iwelu, for interrogation.

They are to report to the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja, for interrogation for their roles in the Assembly  mayhem as seen in the video clips in circulation, according to the police.

Lloyd is one of the members of the House loyal  to the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

The PUNCH had exclusively reported on Monday that Amaechi’s ADC had been summoned for interrogation by the Force Headquarters for engaging in a brawl with a member of the state assembly as captured in a video.

A statement by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, on Wednesday stated that the men were invited to obtain further details that would assist proper investigation into the matter.