The case of an army officer, Major Akeem Oseni, who recently escaped from a court premises after being convicted by a General Court-Martial (GCM) in Abuja, has once again highlighted the porous security in Nigeria’s courtrooms and the issues that arise when criminals are being conveyed to court for trial.
Oseni is one of three army officers jailed last month for 10 years over the death of a Lance Corporal, Benjamin Collins. He was rearrested at the Cotonou International Airport. The other two army officers who were convicted alongside Oseni are Major Ogbemudia Osawe and Second Lieutenant Nuhu Dogary.
The convicted army officer had told court officials that he was going to use the toilet and absconded. The army had immediately launched a manhunt for him and sent a signal to all its units and formations to apprehend the fleeing convict.
In confirming the major’s re-arrest, the army said in a statement: “The escapee officer has been arrested at the Cotonou International Airport around 2p.m. while waiting to board a Cote d’Ivoire airline by 5p.m. to the United States. He is currently in the custody of the Benin Republican Force awaiting international protocols for repatriation to Nigeria.”
The case of Major Oseni is reminiscent of another one in 2017 when a gang of gunmen attacked a court premises in Imo State in a daring move and freed their criminal accomplice named Vampire. Vampire (real names Chibueze Henry), was a mindless killer and trans-border kidnapper. The gunmen had stormed the premises of the court, shot at prison officials and finally rescued Vampire.
Prison officials were about to move the notorious killer and armed robber to the courtroom where his case was scheduled for hearing when the armed men invaded the court. Two persons, a prison official and a suspect, were reportedly shot dead while many others sustained injuries. About 30 suspected criminals brought to the court for trial also escaped.
Vampire was arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in July 2015, after he tried to kidnap tribunal judges who were handling election petitions in Imo State at their lodge in Disney Hotels along Onitsha-Owerri Road. While in prison, Vampire still managed to coordinate some kidnap operations, which included the abduction of a middle aged woman and got a ransom of N5 million.
Reacting to the daring rescue in January 2017, the then Imo State Prison Command Public Relations Officer, Mr. James Maduba, said that the Command received a call that some armed men were seen on the premises of the court on the morning of the attack. He, however, stated that they thought the armed men were operatives of DSS. However, five weeks after he was rescued by daredevil members of his gang, Vampire was killed during a shoot-out with the police in Rivers State.
Without prejudice to the re-arrest of Major Oseni, the questions that arise are how did he escape from court premises? Who were those that facilitated his escape?
A captain and a lieutenant were reportedly detained for allegedly helping Oseni to escape. It is commendable that those who helped Oseni to flee had been detained, but the court officials themselves have to be quizzed to determine if they were involved in the escape attempt and their level of involvement. The court officials should have been more alert. There is no reason for them not to have accompanied the convict to the toilet and kept vigil at the door.
The soldiers who helped Major Oseni to escape must be dealt with according to the law. They are a disgrace to the army for putting the interest of their fellow officer over and above that of the country. It is gratifying to know that a board of inquiry was set up immediately by the army to investigate the circumstances surrounding Oseni’s escape. Nigerians would want to know the outcome of the inquiry and the punishment meted to the erring officers.
We are also constrained to ask again now that a similar escape took place on a court premises how it is possible to take a high profile criminal to court without adequate security as the case of Vampire clearly showed three years ago. That was a dangerous security breach that Oseni’s escape reimagines.
Again, the Imo State Prison Command Public Relations Officer stated then that they received a call that there were some strange faces around the court’s premises, but that they thought they were DSS officials. Would it have been out of place for the officials to have gone to ascertain whether those armed men seen on the court premises were actually DSS officials instead of falling into the trap of assumption?
We insist that court premises must be made very secure when criminals, especially high profile ones, are being transported to court rooms. Also, court officials must be made to be more alert to their duties on the court premises.
