The pro-Amaechi lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly has dismissed the claim by the Rivers Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, that the Leader of the Assembly, Chidi Lloyd, was not tortured in his custody.
They asked the Force Headquarters, especially the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, to investigate what happened to the leader of Rivers Assembly, after he was moved from Abuja to Port Harcourt on Friday.
Deputy Speaker Leyii Kwanee said in Port Harcourt said Mbu’s “insincere” defence was face-saving.
Kwanee said: “We (26 pro-Amaechi lawmakers) call on the Force Headquarters, Abuja to investigate what happened on the arrival of Hon. Chidi Lloyd to Port Harcourt. It is not enough for the police in Abuja to say they treated him well.
“Reports available to us show that Hon. Lloyd was treated with disrespect and his rights violated. The reports filtering from the custody are being digested, to enable a team of lawyers push the case to the ECOWAS Court, to enforce Hon. Lloyd’s fundamental human rights.
“The idea of going to the International Court is based on the fear that Hon. Chidi Lloyd may not obtain justice in Nigeria, considering the powerful interests in the matter.
“The torture meted to the House leader is a custodial crime, for which any police officer involved must be punished. The torture of Hon. Lloyd runs foul to the 1984 international convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.”
The deputy leader also assured the family, friends and supporters of the Rivers Assembly’s leader that the House would leave no stone unturned to enforce and protect his fundamental human rights.
Also Chief and elders of Akpabu Community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, the home town of Lloyd, condemned his detention.
The Council of Chiefs, the Community Development Committee (CDC), youths and women of Akpabu called for his immediate release.
They also warned that if anything happens to the lawmaker representing their constituency, the people of Akpabu and the Emohua constituency will be at war with the police and its agents.
The community wondered why their son should be made a scapegoat in the crisis that engulfed the two factions at the Rivers State House of Assembly, pointing out that the House Leader acted in defence.
The chairman of Akpabu Council of Chiefs, Chief Patrick Dike, called for his unconditional release.
Dike said: “The people of Akpabu community, who include the Chiefs, Elders, women and youths are calling on the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police to leave our son alone; we want him to be release immediately.
“If anything happens to him, we will go to war, because in our tradition no one kills the son of the soil and go free. Chidi has empowered many youths in this community, including bringing infrastructural development in the area. This is to say that we are happy about his achievement and we are in support of him. “
Speaking on behalf of the youths of the area, the President of Concerned Citizen of Akpabu, Okechukwu Geoffrey, said the crisis in Rivers State will soon turn to ethnic war.
“The pains of Chidi Lloyd in the recent crisis are the pains of the youths of Akapbu Community. I hope the President is aware that this crisis is heading to ethnic war.
“With the great support of Chief Stephen Agi, Bright Nlerem and Robinson Amadi, we are confident that we are going monitor the movement of Hon. Lloyd in the hand of the Police. We are going to mobilise our youths to support him in court.”
