It was mild drama that took place at a Lagos court recently when a suspect, Chinedu Samuel, who was arraigned for allegedly stealing money at Christ the King Catholic Church, turned deaf and dumb.
P. M. Express reports that for several minutes, after the female court registrar read his charge, Samuel was demonstrating with his hands and alalegedly pretended to be impaired and did not take his plea.
However, the presiding Magistrate, Mr Akeem Fashola at the Magistrates court sitting in Ejigbo ordered him to be remanded in prison custody since he refused to talk.
When he heard the order and realized that he was being sent to the prison, he started talking and pleading with the court for leniency to the amusement of the litigants present in court, by then it was already late.
P. M. Express reports that the suspect was arrested by the Police at Shasha Division for stealing N31, 000 belonging to a female worshiper, Mrs Josephine Mofe.
Samuel was said to have stolen the bag containing the money and escaped from the church when the owner raised alarm that they have stolen her bag.
Another worshiper who saw him when he was perfecting the act exposed. The security men went after and apprehended him.
P. M. Express gathered that the bag was recovered from him but the money was no longer there. He was thereafter handed over to the Police.
At the station, he was said to have written confessional statement which led to him being arraigned, but at the court when the case was called for hearing he then turned to deaf and dumb.
Samuel later confesses at the court that he pretended to be deaf and dump so that Magistrate Fashola could have pity on him and released him.
He later said he wanted to take his plea but the prison officials had moved him into the awaiting vehicle enroute to the prison where he will stay pending when he will be allowed to take his plea.
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