Nigeria: Woman faces life imprisonment for failing to kill herself
Planning on taking your life soon, and in Lagos? Better succeed at it. If you don’t you’re going to jail.
That’s Governor Ambode’s response to recent suicide incidents in the state, and 51-year-old Titilayo Momoh is a living testimony.
The Balogun Market textile dealer had attempted to jump into the lagoon on the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos. She then blamed the police for not letting her die.
She was on Monday hauled up before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, NAN reports.
The accused, who was arraigned on a charge of attempting to commit suicide, pleaded not guilty.
But the prosecutor, Sgt. Kehinde Omisakin insisted that the accused committed the offence on March 24 at about 10.00 a.m. on the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos.
He said the businesswoman was, however, prevented by security operatives from committing suicide.
NAN learnt the accused had been having sleepless nights since she was allegedly duped of N18.7 million by a Bureau-de-Change operator sometime in 2015.
READ: The family pressure, strange illness that drove Lagos Doctor Allwell Oji to suicide
The offence contravened Section 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
The accused may, on conviction, be sentenced to a life imprisonment according to the provisions of the section.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr A.T. Elias admitted the accused to a bail of N500,000 with two responsible sureties in like sum.
Elias directed that the woman should be taken to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation and adjourned the case until June 1 for the mention.
