Lagos: Rape Suspect Flees Court

It was total drama on Wednesday as a suspected rapist escaped from the Samuel Ilori Magistrates Court in the Agege area of Lagos State.

The suspect was arraigned before the court on Wednesday for allegedly raping a teenager.

It was gathered that the court ordered the suspect to be remanded in prison custody.

The suspected rapist was being processed for remand when he reportedly escaped from the court premises.

A source that spoke with Punch said, “The suspect was brought to court by the police and he was remanded.

“He had been taken to a holding cell by the police when it was discovered that he had not been properly processed.

“As the police and the prison warders were perfecting the arrangement, he used the opportunity to jump on a vehicle from where he scaled the court fence and escaped.”

The incident was confirmed by a trader in the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

She said, “I was there yesterday (Wednesday) when the incident happened. I saw security operatives and other persons searching for the escaped suspect. He couldn’t have climbed over the fence of Guinness because the fence is high and the top is full of barbed wires. Besides, they have a big and spacious compound and an intruder can be easily spotted.”

The Lagos State police command spokesman, Adekunle Ajisebutu, could not confirm the incident at the time of filing this report.

A senior official that spoke on the incident disclosed that efforts are on to re-arrest the fleeing suspect.