17th May, 2012
A Benin-based medical doctor, Dr. Sunday Ogodo has been sentenced to a five-year jail term by a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Edo State for raising false alarm.
Dr. Ogodo was arraigned on a three-count charge of raising false alarm, breach of the peace and resisting arrest.
According to the prosecution, in an attempt to resist arrest, Dr. Ogodo deliberately raised alarm that Police Corporal Stanley Igbaruma and Sergeant Olubotu Aibangbe were going to kidnap. The false alarm attracted youths and commercial motorcyclists who assaulted the two policemen.
While delivering judgment, Chief Magistrate Stephen Omunua who held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond all reasonable doubts, also held that the convict’s defence was full of flaws and failed to defend the charges against him.
“Evidence has shown that he used the fact that he is a medical doctor to raise a false alarm of his being kidnapped to cause a very life threatening chaotic situation for the police.
“Thee officers could have been lynched or killed at the scene if not for intervention, perhaps divine intervention. It follows therefore that I cannot show leniency for the convict because he is a medical doctor. Indeed, being a member of such a highly revered profession should have dictated better behaviour for the convict.
“It is clear from the act of the convict and from my observation above that the convict is not deserving of the mercy of this court,” Chief Magistrate Omunua held.
“Evidence has shown that he has in fact used the fact that a medical doctor was being kidnapped to cause a very life threatening chaotic situation for the police, life-threatening because the officers could have been lynched or killed at the scene if not for intervention, perhaps divine intervention. It follows therefore that I cannot show leniency for the convict because he is a medical doctor.”
He sentenced the accused to two years imprisonment with an option of N50,000 fine for count two and three years imprisonment and option of N200, 000 fine on count three.