Llyod speaking to Nigerian Tribune through his counsel, Emenike Ebete, on Friday, said the story had been twisted by the police to suit a political reason to implicate him. According to the lawmaker's statement, contrary to reports that he drove to kill his political opponent, Lloyd said he never drove the car which was involved in an accident,and he did not know the deceased (Kingsley Ejeuo) in person while he was alive.
The Rivers State police command late Thursday evening had released a statement alleging that Lloyd killed two persons; a policeman and a political opponent, with his car and was arrested while trying to escape justice Thursday evening.
A statement by spokesman of the state's police command, Ahmed Muhammed (DSP), said Lloyd had killed a policeman, Sgt. Obadiah Urang and one Kingsley Ejeuo, whom the statement claimed was the lawmaker's political opponent, in a car crash in Emohua council area of the state. The lawmaker's counsel said the accident occurred at about 10:30 p.m. on 30th of December, 2013, adding that it was in a bid to run away from a more ghastly accident, which would have been a head-on-collision with an on-coming trailer.
"On 30th of December, Hon Lloyd had planned a get-together with his friends in his village, Akpabu. The event that was supposed to start from 10.00 a.m. didn't start until 3.30 p.m. because of his state of health. By the time the event was ending it was around 10.30 p.m., we tried to make him not to leave because of time and his health, but he said since he had a driver, he had no reason to stay back."The accident happened in front of the Emohua council secretariat. There was stop and search police team, there was also a parked trailer in front of which a Passat was parked, being checked by a policeman. As we approached the search and stop spot, another trailer was oncoming and instead of colliding with it, the driver of the car in which Hon Lloyd was swerved out of the road, ran into the Passat. The police doing the search died instantly, one of the four occupants died too, two were taken to the hospital, one of the two had been discharged, while the other one is still receiving medical attention. The fourth person came out unhurt.
"The driver of the car, Kinika, who is Lloyd's driver, was arrested immediately and he has since written his statement, stating the way the accident happened. It is not true that is was a premeditated act, it is not true that the deceased in the car was any political opponent, they did not even know each other at all, this story was written by somebody for a political reason.
"In any case, the impact was so much that there was smoke in the car and all the occupants, including Lloyd, escaped from the car through one door and after the accident, he was taken to the hospital, Morning Star Clinic in D/Line, and since the hospital is being renovated, in the morning, he was taken to Kelsy Harrison Memorial Hospital at Emenike, where he was discharged yesterday (Thursday) at about 4.00 p.m. "Police called him to say they wanted to see him over the accident, he directed them to his residence. The police team, led by a senior officer by the name Sola, took him away from his house, not anywhere near the Airforce Base or the governor's aircraft as indicated by the police. He followed them from his house", Ebete said. But the police statement had said "late Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo, who hailed from the same place with Hon. Chidi Lloyd, is believed to be in the PDP camp led by Elder Felix Obuah.""While being guarded by four police in his hospital bed, he (Lloyd) sneaked out through the hospital's back door and was driven in three tinted bullet-proof jeeps and escaped."On receipt of the information of the escape of Chidi Lloyd, the Commissioner of Police, CP. MBU J.Mbu, directed for a thorough search on all jeeps while the CP himself personally drove to Air Force base where he met HE Gov. Amaechi Rotimi and a private jet waiting for take for off.
"As soon as he (the police commissioner) alighted, he saluted the governor, the governor ignored him and showered rain of abuses on the commissioner of police but the CP kept calm. Unfortunately for Chidi Lloyd, the eagle-eyed police patrol vehicles intercepted him and the CP was informed immediately and he left the Air force base to his office, ignoring the abuses from the governor. After waiting in vain for Chidi Lloyd's arrival, the Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, boarded his jet and took off in anger", Muhammed stated. In a separate statement, the Rivers State government described the police claims as lies. A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers State governor, David Iyofor said "In another attempt to hoodwink the public and discredit the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Rivers State police command had released a completely distorted and untrue account of the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Lloyd on January 2, 2014. We emphatically state that: "Governor Amaechi has no private plane or jet as claimed by the police and Hon. Lloyd was no where near the plane that took the governor from Port Harcourt to Abuja.
"The Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi was about to leave for Abuja when he was informed that the Rivers State Police Commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu had ordered that the plane (which is not the governor's private jet, as claimed by the police) cannot leave Port Harcourt because Hon. Lloyd was in the plane and about to 'escape' with Governor Amaechi. "Shocked, several calls were put across to CP Mbu that were not answered."CP Mbu later showed up and when the governor asked him, he denied giving such an order. He then went on and on, making a baseless, noisy argument that no one could comprehend."Governor Amaechi put it to him that he (Mbu) came to search the plane for Chidi Llyod and told him to go ahead and search the plane. Mbu continued talking endlessly, showing absolutely no respect or regard for the office of the Governor of Rivers State, who is the Chief Security Officer of the State.
"Governor Amaechi then called the Inspector-General (IG) of Police; while the governor was speaking with the IG on phone, CP Mbu was shouting at the governor, on top of his voice, trying to disrupt the conversation between the Governor and the IG to the shock and disbelief of those that were there."It was when Governor Amaechi arrived Abuja later in the evening of yesterday (Thursday) that he was informed that Hon Chidi Lloyd was arrested in his (Lloyd's) house in the presence of his family and lawyer. And Hon. Lloyds' lawyer had confirmed that he was arrested in his house", he said.
