Chidi Lloyd, who was granted bail, after two weeks in police detention on Monday by an High Court sitting in Ahoada, Rivers State. He was arrested by EFCC, at the police detention facility.
Lloyd had sued the IG, demanding N50bn damages for the violation of his fundamental human rights, wrongful arrest and detention.
While the court admitted the Assembly Majority Leader to bail, it will deliver judgment on the damages on August 14.
Lloyd was said to have been questioned by the anti-graft operatives on how Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, had been financing the House.
The lawmaker is a known ally of the governor who has been embroiled in a prolonged face-off with the Presidency as well as the Peoples Democratic Party in his state.
“I just confirmed that our operatives are actually in the state over an ongoing investigation that involved Lloyd and others in the South-South states. No details now because we don’t want to conduct the investigation on the pages of newspapers,” Wilson Uwujaren, acting Head of Media, at the EFCC, said when contacted.
The Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Leyii Kwanee, while responding to the incident said, “I have stated on several occasions that Chidi Lloyd is only being persecuted politically. If you see the dimension of the EFCC, you would begin to understand that Lloyd is being persecuted because of his support for the performing governor of the state,”
But the leader of the five anti-Rotimi Amaechi lawmakers, Mr. Evans Bipi, responded by saying,
“It is a right step in the right direction because Lloyd was part of the leadership of the state House of Assembly. The EFCC should interrogate him very well. Lloyd should be able to explain how the funds of the House were managed.
“What the EFCC is doing is not persecution. It (EFCC) is only carrying out its responsibility. Otelemaba Amachree should also be invited and interrogated.”
However, the Rivers PDP through the Special Adviser to its chairman, Mr. Jerry Needam, has strongly kicked against the bail granted the lawmaker by the Ahoada court.
“This is a vindication of our fears and alarm that Hon. Michael Chindah cannot get justice in Rivers State,”
“This has confirmed its earlier claim and fears that Governor Amaechi and his cohorts are doing all within their power, using his office to want to let Chidi Lloyd off the hook while his victim, Michael Chinda, is dying in a London hospital.”, Jerry Needam, stated.
“Why run to far away Ahoada when the offence for which Hon. Lloyd was arrested for was committed in Port Harcourt.
“The presence of Amaechi’s Commissioner for Agriculture and top aides of the Governor (of Rivers State) in court today was premeditated to set Chidi Lloyd free.
“The Ahoada High Court presided over by Justice Charles Wali lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter, and above all, lacks the power to order the release of Chidi Lloyd in a criminal case that the suspect was not before him and plea not taken.”, He further stated.
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