Rivers Assembly leader gets N10m bail, released

THE embattled Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, finally regained his freedom at about 4pm on Wednesday.

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr. Leyii Kwanee, who informed our correspondent of the development in a telephone interview, said Lloyd’s counsel had fulfilled all his bail conditions.

Kwanee said, “We have fulfilled all the bail conditions and Lloyd has been released. We have been at the Port Harcourt Prison to ensure his release. By tomorrow (today), his physician will examine his health condition.

“On Monday, we will also approach the court to appeal for a waiver of one of the bail conditions, which is the depositing of his International Passport with the court.”

Meanwhile, there was anxiety in Port Harcourt on Wednesday when security operatives took away the Majority Leader after the court granted him bail.

Youths numbering about 2,000 had attempted to stop security agents from taking Lloyd away, insisting that since the lawmaker had been granted bail, he should be allowed to go scot-free.

The trial judge, Justice Letan Nyordee of the State High Court, Port Harcourt, who on Tuesday ordered the detention of Lloyd in custody, granted him bail in the sum of N10m and three sureties.

Two of the sureties, Justice Nyordee added, must have landed property with proof of ownership within Port Harcourt while the accused must deposit his International Passport with the court.

Justice Nyordee also said one of the sureties must be a civil servant of Level 16 and above in the State Civil Service.

The judge said, “At least, one of the sureties must be a senior civil servant of Grade Level 16 and above, in the state civil service. His International Passport should also be deposited with the court.”

The granting of bail followed an application filed by his counsel, Mr. Beluolisa Nwofor (SAN) on Tuesday.

Lloyd is facing six counts of attempted murder, assault, intent to maim, destruction of government property.

The court, however, adjourned the matter till November 21, 2013, for hearing a motion to discountenance the information provided by the police.

Though, Lloyd’s counsel hailed the judge’s decision to grant his client bail, he described the bail conditions as “onerous.”

In a related development, some youths, suspected to be Lloyd’s supporters, barricaded the main gate of the court, protesting the taking away of the lawmaker to an unknown destination by security agents.

They also frowned on the presence of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission within the court premises.

PUNCH