Drama as Magistrate stops police from abducting accused person in court premises

There was mild drama on Thursday at the Igbosere Magistrate Court in Lagos State, when the presiding magistrate, Mrs Awogboro prevented a team of policemen from abducting an accused person.

A team of policemen  from the, Abuja led by sergeant Olumide had invaded the court  to arrest Alhaji Mutairu Owoeye for allegedly jumping bail on the same offence he is being tried for at the Igbosere Magistrate Court

The policemen had told the magistrate that they were acting on the directive of a deputy commissioner of police at the FCIB

The magistrate initially insisted on seeing the warrant of arrest and after being given one by the policemen, she faulted it and directed the policemen not to arrest the accused person.

One of the counsels to Alhaji Mutairu Owoeye, Bayo Omoniyi had initially pointed out that   the police inexplicably arraigned Alahaji Owoeye, his son and four other persons for the same offence at three different courts.

The police had in October last year invaded an uncompleted hotel in Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State, where they allegedly recovered arms and ammunition and arrested four workers and security men in connection with the recovery

The security men and the workers were arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos and have been standing trial in Suit No FHC/L/448c/16 since then and have remained in prison custody since then.

On the same discovery, the police arrested the son of Alhaji Owoeye, Ganiyu and charged him before and Ikeja Magistrate Court presided over by Mrs M O Tanimola in a suit No SOC/70/16.

Alhaji Owoeye and his son were also jointly arraigned again before an Igbosere Magistrate Court, presided over by Mrs Awogboro in a Siut No B/25/2016 and have been standing trial since last year

The attempt to arrest Owoeye in court was the second in the last one month, despite the directive from the police high authority that all the cases should be consolidated for effective prosecution.

The accused person, while walking out of the court urged the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris to save his life and expressed his willingness to stand trial.

He also called on the IGP to investigate the motive behind the duplication of the same case at three different courts in the same Lagos State and that the police should not forcefully abduct him.