A bizarre legal mix-up unfolded at the Lagos State High Court on Thursday, when a suspect facing trial for a 2020 armed robbery was also listed as the perpetrator of a 2022 murder—despite having been in prison custody at the time of the alleged crime.
The incident was narrated by lawyer Muhammed Adam, who described the courtroom confusion after the accused, identified simply as Idris, was named as the perpetrator of a murder that took place in Sabo-Yaba, two years after his initial arrest.
“Something funny happened in court yesterday (Wednesday). A guy who was standing trial for an armed robbery that happened in 2020 in Lagos Island was listed again for a murder that took place in 2022 in Sabo, Yaba,” Adam recounted on Thursday night.
According to the lawyer, the court was stunned as Idris’ passport was also attached to the murder case file, raising serious questions about the credibility of the charges.
“Mind you, the alleged murder took place in Yaba while he was in prison. So it was just impossible for him to be the one who committed murder,” Adam stated.
During the proceedings, the presiding judge, Justice Harrison refused to entertain the case, demanding a thorough investigation into how Idris was implicated in a crime committed while he was in detention.
SaharaReporters reached out to Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, for comments. However, he did not answer his calls at the time of this report.