14th January, 2020
A High Court in Ilorin sentenced a man, Abdulwahab Adebayo, to two weeks in a correctional facility for receiving phone calls during court proceedings.
The presiding judge, Justice Sikiru Oyinloye found Adebayo guilty of disturbing the court proceedings with his phone conversations.
Oyinloye explained that the convict distracted the court and when he was summoned by the police officer attached to the court to stop disturbing the court, he refused.
“The convict refused to stop disturbing the court until another policeman dragged him out of court. He also exhibited a rude attitude in court, as he shouted and claimed to be innocent. The court premises is not a commercial call centre where anybody can receive or make calls as they wish.
”People commit contempt of court with negligence. Ignorance of the law is an offence, I hereby sentence you to two weeks imprisonment, without an option of fine,” Oyinloye ruled.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Adebayo had however pleaded for mercy. He explained that he had to make the calls because of some serious family issues.
“I wanted to collect money for my sick mother from my brother and could not meet him before getting to court premises, I had to make the call out of frustration,” he said.