Hon. Chidi Lloyd, one of the star actors in the crisis that has engulfed the Rivers State House of Assembly was yesterday detained by the Nigerian Police for brutally assaulting his colleague, Hon. Michael Chinda.
The pro-Amaechi lawmaker had attacked Chinda with the mace, causing him injuries that have landed him in a London hospital.
It was learnt that Mr. Lloyd was detained by the police when he showed up at their headquarters at about 5p.m. Nigerian time. A source at the Rivers State Government House said Mr. Lloyd made a statement to the police and was told to return tomorrow for further interrogation.
On July 9, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly had descended into a free-for-all fight, a culmination of months-old political battles between the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi and federal politicians, such as President Goodluck Jonathan, First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike.
Mr. Lloyd claims that his attack against Chinda was due to provocations by Evan Bipi, the lawmaker who led a renegade group of lawmakers to invade the House of Assembly to attack him and his colleagues. Mr. Bipi, who is a close relative of the Nigerian First Lady and who has described her as his “Jesus Christ,” later bragged about the attack on a video that was captured on mobile phone on the day of the incident.
In addition to Mr. Lloyd, the police authorities are also investigating the Chief Security Officer to the governor as well as his aide-de-camp.
Mr. Bipi and his colleagues are yet to be invited by the police.