Rivers lawmaker spends second night in detention

Embattled Leader, Rivers State House of Assembly, Chidi Lloyd, who recently battered a colleague with a mace, is spending his second night in detention, family sources told Pointblanknews.com.

After close to week of being wanted by the police, Lloyd turned himself in Tuesday evening, and has since been a guest of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, (FCID) Abuja.

Pointblanknews.com gathered that the police were awaiting legal advice from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, headed by Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN).

“We are awaiting legal advice from the office of the HAGF. It is only until we get such advice that we shall know how to arraign the fellow. Don’t forget that he is a law maker, and the offence was committed in the Assembly,” the source offered.

Reminded that legislators enjoy certain privileges in their legislative chambers, the source countered that it was for the courts to determine if such privileges are enjoyable when the Assembly is not in session.

“The Assembly definitely was not in session when he (Lloyd) committed the said offence. It is now left for the courts to determine if lawmakers can enjoy legislative privileges even when their Assemblies are not in session,” he explained.

A senator told Pointblanknews.com that legislative privileges cover only pronouncements made within the confines of the Assembly chamber.

He explained, “The case of Rivers State is clearly different. It wasn’t a case of pronouncement. Fisticuffs took place, and blood was spilled. Property was damaged. If the law enforcement agents feel that the actions that day constitute a threat to life and property, then nobody can stop them from doing their job,” he submitted.

Meanwhile, Lloyd’s detention has reportedly unsettled the pro-Governor Rotimi Amaechi camp. Members have reportedly been sharply divided over how best to handle his invitation by the police.

The situation, Pointblanknews.com also gathered, is not helped by the scanty information the detained lawmaker’s lawyer, and a serving commissioner who both accompanied him to the police headquarters have on the matter.