After the court announced that her case had been dismissed as recommended by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Momoh stepped out of the dock, knelt down and started giving praises to God.
Immediately she got out of the court, she covered her face with two sets of clothes and hastened towards the back gate of the court.
After flinging the gates open, a resident asked if she was in purdah, which she denied and ran off with her face still covered.
One of her counsel said she wanted to avoid the harassment of journalists and people in the community.
Momoh had accumulated debts of over N18m after a bureau de change operator allegedly fled with money belonging to her Swiss creditor.
Her shop was also reportedly burgled around the time, which led to frustration and depression.
She claimed that efforts to see her pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God over her challenges did not yield fruit.
Momoh said she left her house late March and headed for the lagoon, adding that she had removed her shoes and was about to take a dive into the water when she was rescued and handed over to operatives of the Rapid Response Squad.
The police subsequently transferred the matter to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, where she was detained for three days.
The case was later charged to court.
After the first arraignment, Momoh cried out for help, saying she could not explain why she attempted suicide.
On Thursday, when the matter came up for hearing at the magistrates’ court, she was represented by two counsel, F.A. Azeez and Eniola Disu, both of the Office of the Public Defender.
A prosecutor from the state Ministry of Justice, Mrs. A.T. Olaleye, announced that the DPP had issued advice on the matter.
“I am directed to inform this court that legal advice has been issued on the matter,” she said.
The magistrate, Tajudeen Elias, after skimming through the advice in the case file, said the charges had been dismissed.
“By the DPP’s advice, the defendant is hereby discharged and acquitted,” he said.
from punch
Immediately she got out of the court, she covered her face with two sets of clothes and hastened towards the back gate of the court.
After flinging the gates open, a resident asked if she was in purdah, which she denied and ran off with her face still covered.
One of her counsel said she wanted to avoid the harassment of journalists and people in the community.
Momoh had accumulated debts of over N18m after a bureau de change operator allegedly fled with money belonging to her Swiss creditor.
Her shop was also reportedly burgled around the time, which led to frustration and depression.
She claimed that efforts to see her pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God over her challenges did not yield fruit.
Momoh said she left her house late March and headed for the lagoon, adding that she had removed her shoes and was about to take a dive into the water when she was rescued and handed over to operatives of the Rapid Response Squad.
The police subsequently transferred the matter to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, where she was detained for three days.
The case was later charged to court.
After the first arraignment, Momoh cried out for help, saying she could not explain why she attempted suicide.
On Thursday, when the matter came up for hearing at the magistrates’ court, she was represented by two counsel, F.A. Azeez and Eniola Disu, both of the Office of the Public Defender.
A prosecutor from the state Ministry of Justice, Mrs. A.T. Olaleye, announced that the DPP had issued advice on the matter.
“I am directed to inform this court that legal advice has been issued on the matter,” she said.
The magistrate, Tajudeen Elias, after skimming through the advice in the case file, said the charges had been dismissed.
“By the DPP’s advice, the defendant is hereby discharged and acquitted,” he said.
from punch
Where's the DRAMA??
ReplyDeleteThey should leave the church out of this biko.
It's the same church that still helped her.
Thank you for letting this woman go and I thank God she didn't succeed in taking her life.
ReplyDeleteLet her see a psychologist or psychiatrist, it doesnt end at discharging her.
God bless the court. Pls her church people should rally round and encourage her. Her pastor should pray and counsel her. Friends and family please show her love, let her know you are glad she is alive and all will be well.
DeleteShe needs encouragement and counselling
ReplyDeleteDrama for what exactly? Were they expecting her to be jailed ontop being suicidal?
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that she was charged to court to scare others, but jailing her was never the goal for me.
Person wey no wan die before.. Her format backfired on her.. Lol
ReplyDeleteGo home and sin no more madam.
Don u are right..When I got to where she was removing her shoes..i laugh sotey I fell down...Hahahha Person wey wan die dey remove shoe? Na house she wan enter ni? Abegi!
DeleteSo was she given any form of counseling to cater to her state of mind when she attempted suicide? Or their own is to lock the person up and forget d underlying problem
ReplyDeleteIt is not the Court or Dpp's job to provide counselling, they can only recommend.
DeleteFalse. The court can demand a psychiatric check up and it can be imposed as punishment.
DeleteThank God for her.
ReplyDeleteAll these pastors claiming busy, make una take am easy ooo. Imagine her wanting to see pasitor and no way because of stupid due process she may have to follow first, forgetting that someone is dying inside and need counselling and prayer to bring her out of the mire clay.
Let me come and be going jare
But when e reach to collect tithe nd offering u would see them preaching without due process
DeleteGood they let her go
ReplyDeleteSilly headline.....
ReplyDeleteOK nah
ReplyDeleteIn Nigeria, it's difficult to see all these pastors, Rev, Servants of God but here, so easy! You can walk up to them after service!
ReplyDeleteHow many denominations have you gone to? That's how you'll be using mouth to destroy what we're allowing politicians to destroy. I worship with Mount Zion Light House Full Gospel church and the bishop of my assembly(parish) although well known is one of the most approachable man of God I have ever met. Just walk up to him and he'll attend to you. Stop generalizing.
DeleteThankGod she ben freed
ReplyDeleteI remember when my first marriage was in serious crises and in my young mind I felt I need serious high level prayers or counselling or help from a very experienced christian woman to save it, Bimbo Odukoya had just died so the next place that came to my mind was the biggest church in Oregun but the protocol will not even let me fill a form talk less of see the pastor's wife.
ReplyDeleteShe was too certain I did not need to see the pastors' wife I could see any of her assistants but I just was convinced my case was too complicated. it had to be someone higher so I insisted. To my amazement they will rather let me go unattended to than have me see her. I was more than disappointed.
Eventually I found help but with men (of course of smaller denominations) and they really did help me through the difficult phase, thank God for them. My concern is if these men were like some pastors of these days they could have taken advantage of my vulnerability and abused me. Why was it so difficult to see A PASTOR'S WIFE. not even the PASTOR!!!
The bible says JESUS WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD AND HEALING ALL THAT WERE OPPRESSED!!! ALL BOTH RICH & POOR. The bible talks about the woman with the issue of blood, he was busy, he was on the move, too many people were around him, his disciples told him not to worry about her, of course she was poor cause she had spent all she had. but he dropped all the protocol and attended to her. He went into poor people's homes despite the fact that Generals came to look for him. So please PASTORS we need to do a lot more than we do at the moment.
I remember at the time too I just started reading a pastor Mrs' christian novel's and I also thought she might be able to understand my complicated situation. I called and called the phone number behind her book which she said we could reach her on, but it was just teh PA always answering and she never could tell when or how i could see her.
Thank God for his mercies anyways, i survived that very difficult period and all of these experiences only made me focus more on God than any man of God and it opened my mind about all these structures around our Pentecostal faith.
May God help us all.
The day I was distressed and called the Catholic priest in my church, he told me to start coming immediately to see him.I wonder why it should be so difficult to see ministers of God, I know they can be busy but they can give appointments based on their schedule.
DeleteThey have turn themselves to Demi god
DeleteThank God for her....woman don't go near the lagoon again......lol
ReplyDeleteLol. Why leave your house to commit suicide when there are 101 ways to kill yourself at home. Only means you were not really serious about it in the first place.
ReplyDelete