A Lagos textile trader who attempted to jump into the lagoon after she was duped of a huge sum of money has been discharged by a court.
Finally, Mrs. Taiwo Momoh, the 58-year-old Lagos State-based textile dealer who attempted to commit suicide over her inability to pay off her debts, has been discharged and acquitted by an Ebute-Metta Magistrates' Court.
Punch reports that Momoh's discharge was made possible following the recommendation of the State Directorate of Public Prosecutions, that the charges against her should be dismissed.
Immediately after Momoh stepped out of the dock, she was reported to have knelt down and started singing praises to God and when she got out of the court, she covered her face with two sets of clothes and hastened towards the back gate of the court.
Recall that Momoh was rescued by the Lagos State Police Command on Friday, March 23, 2017, when she attempted to jump into the Lagos Lagoon from Third Mainland Bridge.
It was then gathered that she had accumulated debts of over N18 million after a bureau de change operator allegedly fled with money belonging to her Swiss creditor.
Coupled with that, her shop was also reportedly burgled around the time, which led to frustration and depression and the decision to kill herself.
She had also claimed that efforts to see her pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God over her challenges, did not yield fruit.
Momoh had narrated to the police that on the day she tried to kill herself, she had left her house and headed for the lagoon, removed her shoes and was about to take a dive into the water when she was rescued and handed over to operatives of the Rapid Response Squad.
The police subsequently transferred the matter to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, where she was detained for three days before she the case was later charged to court.
After the first arraignment, Momoh cried out for help, saying she could not explain why she attempted suicide and when the matter came up for hearing on Thursday, she was represented by two counsel, F.A. Azeez and Eniola Disu, both from the Office of the Public Defender.
A prosecutor from the state Ministry of Justice, Mrs. A.T. Olaleye, announced that the DPP had issued advice on the matter.
The magistrate, Tajudeen Elias, after going through the advice in the case file, said the charges had been dismissed.
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