18th July, 2013
The counsel to Chidi Llyod, the Leader of the Rivers House of Assembly, Emenike Ebete, has said the police have no right to declare his client wanted because he is immune from prosecution.
He said that under the law known as Legislative Houses Power and Privileges Act, only the Speaker and the State Attorney General has the power to discipline Lloyd.
Ebete who was reacting to the police announcement declaring Lloyd wanted, condemned the hasty announcement, saying his client is not a common criminal.
Ebete said the police did not give his client time to respond to the summons it serve on him before declaring wanted.
“He was served summons at 4p.m. on Tuesday 15 July. He was not served directly. But the Lawyer had written that he would honour the invitation so why declare him wanted. Is he a common criminal?”
Ken Atswete, a human rights lawyer has also condemned the hasty way the police have declared Lloyd and other aides to the Governor wanted without waiting for the outcome of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the governor who is the Chief Security Officer of the state.
“Immediately you invite the judiciary in a matter you are duty bound to hands off. In this case, a serving Judge of the High Court and eminent Nigerians have been invited to find out the immediate and remote cause of the fracas in the Assembly.
“The police are duty bound to wait for the outcome of the inquiry. Based on the commission’s findings, the police can therefore prosecute,” he said.
—Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt