A mild drama ensued on Thursday at about
2.30pm on the premises of a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja when one of
the accused brought for a trial in the magistrates’ court attempted to
escape.
It was gathered that the accused, Friday
Onochie, attemped to flee shortly after he was arraigned on one count
of stealing before Magistrate Margret Dan-Oni.
Onochie was alleged to have stolen clothing materials said to be worth several millions of naira.
The magistrate had granted him bail, but
ordered that he should be remanded in custody pending when he would
perfect his bail conditions.
The matter was subsequently adjourned till September 29, 2014 for hearing.
Eyewitnesses explained that as the
police prosecutor was in the process of formalising Onochie’s transfer
to prison officials at the transit cell, the suspect used the
opportunity of the exchange of formalities between the policemen and the
prison officials and took to his heels.
He was said to have ran out of the court premises into Oba Akinjobi Way towards the Police College, Ikeja.
However, policemen, prison officials and some members of the public gave him a hot chase.
The development forced one of the policemen attached to the cell to fire a warning shot which only made him to run faster.
The warning shot however attracted the
attention of the policemen at the gate of the police college who
assisted in capturing the fleeing suspect.
The suspect was brought to the ground and handcuffed.
As they made to drag him back to the
transit cell, he kept shouting, “I have not done anything. I am a cloth
seller. I have not eaten for three days.”
He was later put inside the prison Black Maria marked, PS 273A O/1, and driven back to the transit cell.
PUNCH
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