Court Discharges Lagos Businesswoman Who Tried Jumping Into Lagoon

An Ebute-Meta Magistrate’s Court has discharged the 58 year old businesswoman Mrs Taiwo Momoh, who tried to commit suicide by jumping into the Lagos lagoon.

After the court announced that the state Directorate of Public Prosecutions was no longer interested in prosecuting her, Momoh, a textile dealer, stepped out of the dock, knelt and started chanting praises to God.

As she left the court she covered her face with two sets of clothes and escaped through the back gate of the court.

Recall, Momoh had accumulated debts of over N18m after a bureau de change operator allegedly fled with money belonging to her Swiss creditor. She became depressed after her shop was burgled around the same period.

Momoh had left her house late March, and was about jumping into the lagoon before was rescued and handed over to operatives of the Rapid Response Squad.

She was subsequently detained for three days and later charged to court.

Momoh had told the court that she could not explain why she tried to kill herself.

On Thursday, when the matter came up for hearing at the magistrates’ court, 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.