Police deny involvement in snatching of EFCC's accuse in court

Three gunmen in Police uniform, on Thursday, snatched an accused fraudster from a prison warder at the Igbosere area of Lagos State.

The incident occurred at about 1:30pm, just as the prison warder, a Chief Inspector of Prison, identified as Oduola Jubril, was escorting the accused person, Princewill Arinze Nwobodo to magistrate court cell after his trial at the Lagos High Court, Igbosere, Lagos Island.

It was alleged that the three gunmen appeared from nowhere, snatched Nwobodo, bundled him into a Honda Accord Saloon car with unknown registration number and vanished.

The accused person was charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, for two different offences.

It was gathered that immediately after the incident, Jubril had gone to report himself at the nearest police station.  He was however quickly later whisked away by the officials of the Nigerian Prisons Service before police could embark on a thorough investigation of what transpired.

The Prisons officials had however promised to return Jubril to the police after he had been debriefed. 

A source said: “I have thought long about the incident and I strongly feel that the prison warder planned this escape with the accused person. Jubril knew he was supposed to wait for the Black Maria to come for the accused, but decided on his own to take him to a magistrate cell.

“He took the accused, walking along the streets like they were on a stroll. There was no leg or hand chain, and then three gunmen in police uniform came and took the accused away. Who will believe such a story?”

According to the EFCC Head of Media, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the fleeing accused person is an alleged serial fraudster and suspect in two cases being handled by the EFCC.

Uwujaren said: “The suspect, Princewill Arinze Nwobodo (alias Aboki J. Brown) was abducted by the gunmen within the precincts of the Lagos High Court, Igbosere where he was to be arraigned before Justice Aishat Opesanwo on a 4-count charge bordering on obtaining $ 92,000 under false pretence. The arraignment was deferred to March 27, 2014 as the court did not sit.

Nwobodo had previously been arraigned in two separate courts in Lagos on fraud related charges. He was docked on October 25, 2013 before Justice Saliu Seidu of the Federal High Court, Lagos on a 15- count charge bordering on forgery and obtaining under false pretence. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail. His inability to meet the bail conditions consigned him to prison custody till Thursday, February 20.

In the second court, he was arraigned on November 20, 2013 before Justice Aishat Opesanwo alongside Katchy Okoye and Matthew Usong on a 12-count charge that borders on conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretence. They were granted bail but could not meet the bail terms.”

Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, who also confirmed the incident, vehemently denied that the gunmen were genuine policemen. “We’ve seen several cases where criminal wear the police and army uniforms to perpetrate crimes. We’re waiting to hear from the prisons authority because the warder is no longer in our custody.”

The National Public Relations Officer, Nigerian Prisons Service, Mr. Ope Fatinikun said that he was not aware of the incident, adding that he does not believe Lagos Command would deliberately hid such an incident from him.