By Omuboye Sukubo
Dr Chidi Lloyd, former majority leader of the Rivers House of Assembly, has called on security agencies for help to protect him and family members.
He said they are all in grave danger.
Rivers Police Command has confirmed arsonists attacked Lloyd’s house in his village, Akpabu, Emohua Local Government Area of the state.
Lloyd told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt on Sunday that they were endangered because of his political beliefs and association.
He said that the unprovoked attack on his residence had consumed his personal belonging such as library and other valuables.
“I have tried to imagine what might have been the cause of this unwarranted attack but cannot readily think of any.
“The only thing is, since the 2013 crises that engulfed the assembly, in which I partipated, I have been living in great fear,” he said.
Lloyd said that he was arrested, detained and charged to court for attempted murder but the trial was discontinued by the then Attorney General (AG) of Rivers, Mr Worgu Boms.
“When the former AG Boms in exercise of his constitutional powers took over the prosecution, he discontinued the trial because the police authorities then made it impracticable for trial to continue.
“This was because the complainant approached the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court, seeking for an order to stop the police from releasing the case file,” he alleged.
According to Lloyd, the current Rivers AG, Mr Chinwenwo Aguma, in May 2016 filed a criminal information in the Rivers High Court, before Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikaran, seeking to review the nolle prosequi entered by his predecessor.
“The trial is currently going on with an interlocutory order to the police to produce me to take plea even when no process was served on me.
“Despite the pendency of the matter at the Court of Appeal, Justice Iyayi-Lamikaran has refused to stay proceedings in the matter,” he alleged.
Lloyd alleged that on Sept. 21, at about 10am, Aguma was boasting in open court that they would produce me in without the police.
“Since the police, a non party in the matter had refused to produce me, they, the prosecution will ensure my appearance in court to take plea their own way.
“Just six hours later, my house was razed down. I have painstakingly drawn this analogy so it will be clear to the world who my tormentors are,” he alleged.
Lloyd said that despite the efforts to frustrate him from exercising his constitutional right, he had appealed the order for police to produce him in court and also written a petition to the Chief Justice of the Federation. (NAN)
