Woman arraigned for assaulting Chief Magistrate during proceedings

The police in Lagos have arraigned a woman, Alexia Thomas, before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, for allegedly assaulting a Chief Magistrate. The woman reportedly caused commotion in the court building while proceedings were ongoing. The CM, who asked not to be named, was said to have summoned her to the court, but she reportedly refused saying she did not know him. Our reporter learnt that the confusion had ensued between Thomas and a police prosecutor, who wanted to arrest her for allegedly jumping bail. She was said to have been arraigned in Court 3 of the Magistrate’s Court sometime last year for a bailable offence. She, however, allegedly failed to show up in the subsequent sittings. A police source told our correspondent that despite a bench warrant issued on the woman, the police could not effect her arrest until May 17, 2018 when the prosecutor ran into her at the court. “In the process of arresting her, she started shouting which disturbed the ongoing proceedings in the courtrooms. “The Chief Magistrate, Court 1, summoned the woman into his court, but she declined. She said she had no business with the magistrate, who directed that she should be arraigned,” the source added. She was brought before a presiding magistrate, Mr. B.I. Bakare, on three counts of assault and engaging in conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace. According to the police prosecutor, Sergeant Friday Mammeh, the offences, contravened sections 104(1) (a) and 168(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. The woman pleaded not guilty to the charge and was admitted to bail in the sum of N250,000 with one gainfully employed surety in the like sum. The matter was adjourned till June 20, 2018 for mention.]]>