19th November, 2023
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The management of the Rivers judiciary has threatened to charge Chidi Lloyd, the Chairman of Emohua Local Government for contempt for allegedly making a false accusation against the State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi over the release of one Woburuoke Wosu also known as Abionton from prison and resurgence of kidnapping incidents in his council area.
Lloyd had in recent interviews linked the resurgence of kidnappings in the Emohua local government axis of the East-West road to the release of Woburuoke Wosu from prison during a visit by the Chief Judge to the the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
The Local Government Chairman claimed that Nwonburuke Wosu was among the masterminds of last weekend’s kidnapping incident on the road.
Lloyd said this while declaring Wosu and three other suspects wanted over the resurgence of kidnapping in his council area.
He also placed N4 million as a bounty on the two of the alleged kidnap kingpins he identified as Uzoma, alias Nkee, and Chibu-aru alias Occasion.
However, the Chief Registrar of the State Judiciary, David Ihua-Maduenyi, in a statement dismissed claims by Lloyd that Woburuoke Wosu was one of those granted pardon and ordered to be released from custody during the visits of the Chief Judge to the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
According to the Chief Registrar, a thorough check through the lists of inmates released by the Chief Judge during his various jail delivery exercises since he assumed office in May 2021 till date will show that Woburuoke Wosu is not on any of the lists.
The Chief Registrar accused Lloyd of repeatedly attacking the Chief Judge during his media interviews ‘as if he has some scores to settle with him.’
Ihua-Maduenyi therefore cautioned Lloyd to stop linking the Chief Judge to the resurgence of kidnapping incidents in his local government.
He warned Lloyd who is also a lawyer that he would be charged with contempt if he continued to disrespect the office and person of the Chief Judge of Rivers State by linking him to people allegedly masterminding kidnappings in the state.