Court orders arrest of Rivers APC chieftain for alleged attempted murder

A high Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has ordered the arrest of Director-General of Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation, Chidi Lloyd, for alleged attempted murder.

The presiding judge, Justice Chinwendu Nwogu, who issued the bench warrant, asked the state Police Commissioner (CP) to immediately arrest Lloyd, the former Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly. Nwogu gave the order following the absence of Lloyd and his counsel at the court during the resumed hearing of his attempted murder trial yesterday.

The former lawmaker was expected to take his plea in suits PH/692CR/2018 and No: PH/693 CR/2018 brought against him by the state government.The judge ordered that Lloyd should be detained at the Port Harcourt Federal Prisons till the next adjourned date, January 10, 2019, for the police to produce him in court to take his plea.

Lloyd murder charge stemmed from the fracas on the floor of the state legislature in 2013 where he slammed mace on his colleague, Michael Chinda. Counsel to the Rivers State Government, Godwin Obla (SAN), said the state was ready for the expeditious trial of the former lawmaker.

“The defendant’s absence was not an excuse at all. On the basis of that, we applied for bench warrants to be issued for the two different cases to compel the appearance of the defendant in court on the next adjourned date of January 10, 2019.

“Two bench warrants have now been issued mandating the Commissioner of Police of Rivers State to arrest and detain Chidi Lloyd in Port Harcourt Prison till the next adjourned date and to produce the defendant in court on the next adjourned date.”

Similarly, Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Mr. Ojukaye Flag Amachree’s murder trial was stalled yesterday due to his absence in court to take his plea in his second murder trial before Justice Joy N. Akpughunum. The court adjourned to January 24, 2019 for him to take his plea.

The Rivers State Government in suit PH/1664/CR/2016 said Flag-Amachree was culpable for the death of Iminabo Dokubo, and attempted murder of Ipalibo Jackson during the last general election in Buguma in Asari Toru Local Council of the state.