The Rivers State Police Command has said it has arrested the Leader of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Llyod, for the alleged murder of Police Sgt. Urang Obediah and Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo, his kinsman and arch political opponent.
A statement issued by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Ahmad Muhammad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), yesterday night said Lloyd was arrested on his way to the Air Force Base airstrip to escape justice.
The statement said Lloyd had last Monday, while pursuing Ejeuo, knocked down Obediah, who was trying to stop him, killed him and went ahead to crush the Volkswagen Passat car Ejeuo was driving in and also killed him.
Muhammad said the police initially thought the incident was a mere accident, which ought to have been manslaughter.
He, however, said the police had to change their mind when the Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu, directed the Area Commander, Metro Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Garba, to visit Lloyd in his hospital bed and commiserate with him.
He said, conscious of what he did, Lloyd relocated to another hospital when facts emerged that he (Lloyd) drove a bullet proof vehicle, while pursuing the late Ejeuo and in the process knocked down Obediah, who died on the spot and moved ahead to smash Ejuo in his Passat.
According to the PPRO, “Late Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo, who hailed from the same place with Hon. Chidi Lloyd is believed to be in the PDP camp led by Mr. Felix Obuah.”
He said: “While being guarded by four policemen in his hospital bed, he (Lloyd) sneaked out through the hospital’s back door and was driven in three tinted bullet-proof jeeps and escaped.”
Muhammad also said: “On receipt of the information of the escape of Chidi Lloyd, the Commissioner of Police, CP. Mbu J. Mbu, directed for a thorough search on all jeeps, while the CP himself personally drove to the Air Force base, where he met Governor Rotimi Amaechi and a private jet waiting for take off.
“As soon as he (the police commissioner) alighted, he saluted the governor, the governor ignored him and showered rain of abuses on the commissioner of police but the CP kept calm.
Unfortunately for Chidi Lloyd, the eagle-eyed police patrol vehicles intercepted him and the CP was informed immediately and he left the Air Force base to his office, ignoring the abuses from the governor. After waiting in vain for Chidi Lloyd’s arrival, Amaechi boarded his jet and took off in anger.”
When contacted for his reaction, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mr. David Iyorfor, said: “It’s most preposterous and outrageous for the police to say that. Escape to where? Does it make any sense to escape from Port Harcourt to Abuja? Is Abuja not within the Federal Republic of Nigeria? It’s a blatant lie.”
Lloyd was at the centre of the fracas which broke out in the assembly on July 9, 2013 when he used the mace to break the head of one of the anti-Amaechi lawmakers, Hon. Michael Chindah, an incident that drew world-wide attention.
