Convict Flees Ibadan Courtroom, Re-Arrested, and Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

A dramatic escape attempt unfolded at the Mapo Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, when a 23-year-old convict, Abubakar Bello, fled the courtroom on Tuesday while the presiding magistrate briefly retired to her chambers to prepare her judgment. The incident was swiftly resolved after police officers, with assistance from a soldier who threatened to use force, re-arrested Bello and returned him to face justice.

Following his capture, Magistrate O. O. Latunji sentenced Bello to six years imprisonment without the option of a fine. She cited the convict’s confessional statement and the substantial evidence presented by the police as grounds for the ruling. Despite taking into account his guilty plea, which ordinarily could have warranted a reduced sentence, Magistrate Latunji emphasized that a firm penalty was necessary to deter similar crimes. She handed down a three-year sentence for each of the two charges, to be served concurrently.

Inspector Oluseye Akinola, the police prosecutor, revealed that Bello was arraigned on charges of conspiracy and theft. According to Akinola, the convict stole electrical cables worth ₦3.5 million from Olabanji Oil and Gas Station at Odo-Ona Kekere, Ibadan, on October 28. The station’s manager, Mayowa Balogun, reported the theft to the police, prompting an investigation.

The prosecution detailed how Bello, who had recently completed a prior jail term, was apprehended by the filling station’s security guard around 4:00 a.m. as he attempted to cut electrical installations. Inspector Akinola further noted that Bello was a repeat offender at the same location, and his accomplices in the crime remain at large.

The offenses contravened Sections 516 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol. II Laws of Oyo State 2000.