A Wuse Zone 2 Magistrates’ Court Abuja, on Wednesday, conditionally discharged Ameerah Safiyan, the 23-year-old self-acclaimed therapist who stage-managed her kidnap in Abuja.
Recall that on June 14, Miss Sufyan had in a series of tweets claimed that gunmen who disguised as police officers had abducted her alongside 16 other victims at different parts of Abuja, and driven off in a van.
A few days after, she reappeared at a Lagos hospital where she took herself for treatment.
Arraigning her before Magistrate Chukwuemeka Nweke, the police charged Miss Safiyan of Apo Resettlement Abuja with giving false information with intent to mislead public servants.
She pleaded guilty to the charge.
In his ruling, Mr Nweke held that he discharged her in line with the provisions of Section 454 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.
He said: ”Going by the probation report that she was not in a proper mental state of mind when she committed the offence, she is hereby discharged with some conditions.
”The defendant must be on probation for a period of 12 calendar months.
“Secondly the defendant would be released to one surety and assigned to a probation officer, DCP Hauwa Ibrahim, to monitor her.
“Thirdly, she must report monthly to the Police Head Quarters, Abuja for proper assessment,” the magistrate added.
Earlier, Mr Nweke had asked the Defence Counsel, Chinyere Moneme, if she had any objection to Mr Idachaba’s application.
She, however, affirmed in the negative, which led to the Magistrate giving his verdict.
Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, James Idachaba told the court that on June 14, at about 1:30 p.m, Imam Sufiyan Adam, the complainant of Apo Resettlement, Abuja, reported the matter at Apo police station.
Mr Idachaba further told the court that, the matter was later transferred to the Criminal Investigative Department, CID, FCT Police Command, Abuja.
The prosecutor further alleged that on the same date, at about noon, the defendant criminally raised false alarm on her Twitter handle, @Ameerah-SufIyan, WhatsApp chat and voice broadcast.
He said that Miss Safiyan sent out false information through her social media handles to the complainant, the whole family and the general public, that she was in the hands of armed men in police uniform.
Mr Idachaba alleged that the defendant also stated that the armed men also kidnapped 16 other persons with her.
He told the court that the defendant alleged that the kidnappers headed towards the forest through Jos and Nasarawa State highway.
The prosecution counsel in addition stated that during police investigation, the defendant was traced to Marigold Hospital Critical Care Centre, Surulere in Lagos.
He said that the investigation revealed that the defendant had planned and carried out self-kidnap in order to raise false alarm to thereby mislead the public servants from performing their lawful duties.
He said the offence contravenes the provisions of Section 140 of the Penal Code Law.
The prosecution counsel at this point applied that based on the medical report, the defendant be placed on probation.
