BREAKING: Court sentences Ameerah to 12-month psychiatric care
A Magistrate Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja has sentenced a lady, Miss Ameerah Sufyan to 12-month psychiatric upon her conviction for making false kidnap claim.
Miss Sufyan had on June 14, claimed, in a Twitter message, that she had been kidnapped, along with 16 others by some men in military outfits.
The police claimed that upon investigation, it was found that Miss Sufyan’s claim was false and that she had been undergoing treatment at a hospital in Lagos for mental health issues, from where she released her Twitter message.
She was arraigned on Wednesday on a one-count charge in which she was accused of misleading the police, an act said to be an offence under Section 140 of the Penal Code.
Miss. Sufyan pleaded guilty when the charge was read to her, following which the prosecutor, James Idachaba tendered a medical report, indicating that the defendant was suffering from a mental illness when she made the false kidnap claim.
Idachaba urged the court to convict the defendant following her guilty plea, but hand her a non-custodial sentence as provided for under Section 44 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
The prosecutor equally urged the court to place her under the supervision of the Police Counselling Unit, for a regular review of her mental state.
The defence lawyer, Chinyere Moneme agreed with the prosecutor, following which Magistrate Chukwuemeka Nweke convicted the defendant and ordered that she be released conditionally, to a female Police Probation Officer, Hauwa Ibrahim, who is a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).
The Magistrate also ordered that she undergo a 12-month psychiatric care under the watchful eye of the Probation Officer, during which she must also undertake to be of good behaviour.
