Suspect killed as he tries to escape

A 24-year-old suspect, Chizoba Okoye, who was standing trial on a charge of false information on the whereabouts of the six children of Igbonla Model School at Igbonla via Epe who were kidnapped around March this year, was yesterday killed by an Ikoyi prison warden.

The suspect who was brought from the prison to attend court proceedings, had decided to escape after his case was heard and he was being led by the prison warden out of the court room.

According to a source, the suspect suddenly took to his heels and the warden, shouting that the fleeing suspect should stop to no avail, shot into the air to scare him from escaping, and because the suspect kept running away, the warden shot at him and he died instantly.

Okoye was first arraigned on August 3, 2017. The prosecutor, Inspector Chinalu Uwadione had told the court that on June 11, 2017, at Igbonla Moriden Epe Area of Lagos, the deceased falsely represented himself as a member of the syndicate that kidnapped the six children of Igbonla Model School Igbonla via Epe.

He said that Okoye called the principal of the school and demanded a ransom of N2million, for the release of the students, that he knew their whereabouts.

At the resumed hearing of the case yesterday, the Magistrate after hearing his case, further adjourned till January 17, since the deceased was still unable to perfect his bail conditions.

It was while he was being led out of the court that he started his escape bid.