THERE are fears that the detained Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Chidi Lloyd, may be going blind as a result of the harsh treatment meted on him by the Rivers state police command.
This revelation came just as 25 other colleagues of his in the House of Assembly raised the alarm over his safety in the custody of the police.
Revealing the state of the lawmaker to journalists in Port Harcourt on Sunday, the Deputy Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Leyii Kwanee, said Lloyd’s state of health is depleting, especially as he is losing his sight to the effect of teargas sprayed on him.
“You’ll all recall that Chidi Lloyd, who reported himself at the Force Headquarters was sneaked into Port Harcourt on Friday and we thought he would be charged to court that day, but as I speak to you now, we’ve just been informed that he’s being held somewhere in the Force CID by the same police authority, under the leadership of Commissioner Mbu.
“Gentlemen of the press, it is important that I put all of us and Nigeria in proper perspectives as it relates to what has taken place so far; Chidi Lloyd was blindfolded, tortured and teargas was sprayed all over him. As I speak to you, some of us have been refused access to him, but we’ve been informed that Chidi Lloyd is going blind, occasioned by the teargas that was sprayed all over him, particularly on his eyes. He has also been denied medical aid,” Kwanee stated.
In the same vein, 25 members of the House of Assembly, in a statement issued to the media in Port Harcourt on Sunday, asked Nigerians to hold the state’s Police Commissioner, Mr Mbu, responsible for any harm that might come to Lloyd in the course of his interrogation and after.
The statement narrated the series of alleged inhuman treatments meted out to Lloyd by the Rivers state police command since it took custody of the detained lawmaker on Friday.
“Since his arrival in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Joseph Mbu has assaulted and tortured him like a criminal. They have been moving him from one station to another since he reported to CP Mbu’s office on arrival from Abuja. As his lawyer Mr Bello Olisa Nwofor stated, the continued blindfolding and detention of Hon Chidi Lloyd by the Police is emphatically dangerous to his health and life.
“We have also heard from the lawyer who accompanied Lloyd from Force Headquarters to Port Harcourt, Mr Emenike Ebete, that over 500 anti -riot policemen escorted Chidi Lloyd from the airport to the CP’s office and transported in a ‘ Black Maria’ as authorities would move criminals.
“As a House we are indeed saddened to note that the Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly was blindfolded, tear-gased and handcuffed.
“Is Mbu aware of Chidi Lloyd’s medical history?
“Why the blindfold? He is only alleged to have committed an offence. He is not a terrorist or an armed robber, neither is he a kidnapper. He is a representative of Emohua Constituency of Ikwerre Ethnic nationality at the Rivers State House Of Assembly and a Legal practitioner who will stand for truth and justice even when the truth is too much for those bent on destroying our hard-earned democracy with unnecessary impunity.
“We genuinely fear for the life of the Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly whose present whereabouts remain unknown and whose only offence is that he defended democracy and its values.
“We are: Honourables Golden Ngozi Chioma; Innocent B. Barikor; Josiah John Olu; Ibiso Nwuche; Belema Okpokiri; Legbosi Nwidadah; Andrew Anderson Miller; Augustine Ngo; Ben Horsfall; Okechukwu Nwaogu; Victor Amadi; Azubike Chikere Wanjoku; Victoria Nyeche; Benibo Anabraba; Irene Inimgba; Felicia Barizasi-Tane; Aye Atamah Pepple; Onari Brown; Gift Wokocha; Ewor Nname Robinson; Lucky Odili; Chigbo Eligwe; Leyii Kwanee;Ikwunyi Igbani; Tonye Harry and the Speaker Otelemaba Amachree(25 Lawmakers)”, the makers said.
Meanwhile, when reached for reaction on the allegations by the lawmakers, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Rivers police command, Angela Agabe (DSP), said “I don’t want to comment on that now.”
No comments:
Post a Comment