A professor of
Law, Alexis Thomas, is languishing behind bars at the Kirikiri Women Prison in
Lagos.
Trouble started for
the United Kingdom-based Nigerian law teacher when she was dragged before the
JIC Taylor Court House at Igbosere, Lagos, for allegedly threatening the life
of her neighbour, Eva Ewemade, through text messages.
The police alleged
that Thomas committed the offence on October 15, 2017 at about 1300 hours at
Kings Court Apartments, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.
In the same charge,
she was alleged to have conducted herself in a manner likely to cause a breach
of the peace, punishable under Section 168 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
Her trouble was
compounded on May 17, 2018 when, during one of the court adjournments on the
case, she was alleged to have assaulted the chief magistrate of an Igbosere
court while court proceedings were going on, contrary to Section 104 (1)(a) of
the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
It was also alleged
that on the same date, time and place, she conducted herself in a manner likely
to cause a breach of the peace and thereby committed an offence contrary to
Section 168 (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
While the charges were
pending against her, she was alleged to have jumped bail. Hence, the bail
granted her was revoked and she landed at the Kirikiri prisons after she was
arrested.
Although some of the
charges against Thomas had been dropped, she has been languishing in prison for
about seven months. She spent the 2018 Christmas season as well as the New Year
day in prison.
The complainant, who
Thomas was alleged to have threatened with text messages, told the police that
she had been living in fear since she received the threat messages and wanted
the court to order the embattled professor not to come near her.
Chief Magistrate B.I.
Bakare, the trial judge, has ordered that a psychiatric test be conducted on
the Law teacher to determine whether she was fit for trial.
Further hearing in the
case has been fixed for January 9, 2019.
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