Drama as six men run out of dock before counsel substitutes fresh charge

A melodrama occurred in a Karu Chief Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, on Thursday as six men standing trial took to their heels as the court announced the striking out of their case.
The Magistrate, A.O. Oyeyipo, had struck out their case following an application by the prosecuting counsel.
But, before the prosecutor could announce that she was substituting a fresh charge, the defendants had taken to their heels from the dock.
One of the men slipped and fell as he was running and quickly picked himself up and continued running.
On November 15, 2013, nine people were charged to court for criminal conspiracy, mischief and forgery, contrary to Sections 97(2), 327 and 364 of the Penal Code.
The Prosecutor, Nne Okon, told the court that she applied to strike out the old case and to re-arraign the six out of the nine defendants since three of the defendants had died.
Okon expressed shock that before she could present the new application in court, the men had already run out of the courtroom.
“The entire court was shocked at how the men ran out of the court. I have never seen men run as fast as these men did,’’ Okon said.
The prosecutor assured the court that the defendants would be re-arrested and justice served.