29th December, 2016
A 32-year-old unemployed man, Gbenga Ogunfemi, who allegedly escaped from police custody, was on Thursday in Lagos arraigned before Magistrate E. Kubeinje.
The accused is facing a three-count charge of breach of peace, unlawful entering and escape from lawful custody at
an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.
Ogunfemi, a resident of Satellite Town off the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, however, pleaded not guilty and was admitted to a bail of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The prosecutor, Insp. Essien Ndarake said the accused committed the offences on Dec. 13 in Ikeja.
Ndarake said the accused, who was detained for unlawful entering the departure hall of Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, escaped from detention.
“The accused was detained because he was found inside the airport lobby which is a restricted area, without any permission or authority from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
“He engaged himself as a tout by rendering unsolicited assistance to both departing and arriving passengers.
“When he was accosted by a team of aviation security men and asked him about his mission, he started making noise and disturbing the peace of passengers,” he said.
Ndarake told the court that the accused escaped from police custody on the pretext of visiting the toilet.
“The accused while in detention pretended to be pressed by nature, an officer was asked to lead him to the toilet but when the officer turned to get him water to use, the accused jumped out and fled.
“The accused was later re-arrested after a few days.”
The offences contravened Sections 106, 166 and 310 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Offenders risk seven years imprisonment on conviction.
The magistrate adjourned the case to Jan. 16.