There was a failed attempt to disrupt court proceedings at a High Court presided by Hon. Justice S.H. Aprioku by a prisoner on trial on Thursday.
The prisoner, Promise Thompson, who was facing trial for the alleged stealing of a child was shouting and crying inside the courtroom which led prison officials and police to take him outside the courtroom.
The presiding judge, Hon. Justice S.H. Aprioku, said that his plan was to disrupt the proceedings and see that the case would not go on.
Meanwhile, the prisoner of about 30 something years was shouting and crying saying that his case should be transferred but the judge said that the case could not be transferred because it had reached defence stage.
According to him by the order of the Chief Judge and National Judicial Council a criminal trial cannot be transferred when it has reached the defence stage.
The judge stated this while he continued with the trial.
The prisoner who was taken out of the courtroom where he started the commotion and was taken by security men to the entrance door of the courtroom continued with the commotion as the trial went on.
He was in handcuffs but that wouldn’t restrain him from shouting loudly and trying to disrupt the proceedings.
He was first defendant in the trial.
The second defendant, Queen Chisom Lucky, was led in evidence by her counsel, Barrister P.A. Anaele.
The evidence of Chisom Lucky who was first defendant witness (DW1) over the case was taken by the court and was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel after she was led in evidence.
The case is between the Rivers State government and the defendants.
The third defendant, Lucky Wokoma, who was also in court stood in the dock while she was led in evidence.
The prisoner later calmed down after making commotion and slept off and was carried out of the court at the end of the trial by a fellow prison inmate.
The judge had adjourned the case to 19 and 20 January 2022 for further defence.
Meanwhile in an interview the counsel to the second and third defendants, Barrister Anaele, said his clients face just one charge of child stealing.
He said that they had been in prison since June 2019.
Asked about the counsel for the first defendant who created scene at the court the legal practitioner said that the counsel had not been coming to court.
He also said that the child was recovered by police before they were charged to court.
