Melodrama as 6 men run out of dock before counsel substitutes fresh charge

 

A melodrama occurred in  a Karu Chief Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, on Thursday as six men standing  trial took to their heels as the court announced the striking out of  their case.  The Magistrate, A.O. Oyeyipo, had struck out their case following an  application by the prosecuting counsel. But, before the prosecutor could announce that she was substituting a  fresh charge the defendants had taken to their heels from the dock.  

One of the men slipped and fell down as he was running and quickly  picked himself up and continued running. On Nov. 15, 2013, nine people were charged to court for criminal  conspiracy, mischief and forgery, contrary to Sections 97(2), 327 and  364 of the Penal Code.  The Prosecutor, Nne Okon, told the court that she applied to strike out  the old case and to re-arraign the six out of the nine defendants since  three of the defendants had died.  

Okon expressed shock that before she could present the new application  in court, the men had already run out of the courtroom. “The entire court was shocked at how the men ran out of the court.  “I have never seen men run as fast as these men did,’’ Okon said. The prosecutor assured the court that the defendants would be  re-arrested and justice served.