29th July, 2011
A 30-year old man has been charged to Ejigbo Magistrate’s Court in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, for allegedly attempting suicide inside the Synagogue Church Of All Nations, SCOAN, while the service was going on.
The suspect, Bassey Ude, an indigene of Cross River State, South-South Nigeria, was alleged to have jumped from the upper gallery of the church to the altar in an attempt to kill himself, the prosecutor said.
It was not clear if Prophet T.B. Joshua, founder of SCOAN, was the one preaching when the strange incident occurred.
P.M.NEWS learnt that during the suicide attempt, the suspect sustained serious injuries on his right arm.
The suspect, it was gathered, was allegedly restless after futile efforts to see T.B. Joshua.
P.M.NEWS gathered that Ude had travelled to Lagos from Cross River State to see Prophet T.B. Joshua but was prevented by security men in the church.
After the suicide attempt, security men held him and handed him over to the police at Ikotun division, who later charged him to court for the offence.
Part of the charge reads: “That You Bassey Ude on the same date, time and place, attempted to commit suicide by jumping from the upper house of Synagogue Church of All Nations.â€
When the charge was read to him, he pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Oladejo Balogun, told the court there has been instances of related cases by the complainant before the court but the trial could not go on because the witnessed did not show up.
Balogun informed the court that there was tendency that the case might be abandoned by the complainant in their similar manner. He also informed the court that the complainant was not present in court.
The court noted the observation and subsequently struck out the matter for lack of diligent prosecution.
—Cyriacus Izuekwe