2nd July, 2010
A magistrate at the Somolu Magistrate’s Court, Shomolu, Lagos, Nigeria, Mrs. B. O. Osunsanmi, has sent an accused, Mrs. Kehinde Majekadegbe, 60, who resides on 12, Showunmi Street, Bariga, Lagos, to the psychiatric hospital to ascertain her mental state.
The accused was arraigned before the court on a one-count charge of malicious damage for breaking the back windscreen of a Volkswagen bus with registration number ER861SMK, valued at N22,000; headlamp of a motorcycle with registration number QJ 824 KST, valued at N7, 000 and a rubber drum, valued at N2,500, belonging to co-tenants, whose names were given as Segun Onakoya and Isah Mohammed.
The offence, according to the prosecuting police officer, Inspector Adegoke Akinlabi, is contrary to and punishable under Section 451 of the Criminal Code, Cap. C.17, Vol. 2, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.
When the charge was read to her, she pleaded not guilty and told the court to transfer the case to the high court.
Magistrate Osunsanmi granted her bail in the sum of N50,000, with one surety whose address must be verified.
Osunsanmi also ordered the prison officials who brought her to take her to a psychiatric hospital to check her mental state and adjourned the matter for trial.
—Paul Sanusi