A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Wuse, Abuja, has discharged a 39-year-old man, Kingsley Chidiebere, accused of attempting to escape from lawful custody.

The police charged Chidiebere with criminal trespass, attempt to commit an offence to escape from lawful custody and mischief.

Magistrate Umar Dodo discharged and acquitted Chidiebere for being mentally unstable and unaware of situations around him.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Emmanuel Nnamani, told the court that Chidiebere was arrested by the Joint Team of Security Personnel attached to the Presidential villa, Abuja and taken to the Supreme Court Police Station on August 4.

Mr Nnamani alleged that Chidiebere boarded a Julius Berger Construction Company staff bus heading to the villa on the said date.

He added that when Chidiebere was asked to identify himself, he could not give a satisfactory account of himself or mission, instead, he started causing trouble with the staff.

The prosecution said that Chidiebere was handed over to officials of the State Security Service for interrogation and taken to the station where he deliberately jumped out of the station through the window.

He further said that Chidiebere was chased and brought back to the police station, and he forcefully removed the burglary proof in the toilet cell with the intention to escape.

He said that the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 342,409, 135 and 327 of the Penal Code.

Chidiebere, however, pleaded not guilty.

(NAN)