Charles Okah tries to commit suicide in court

Firstclass newsline gathered that a suspected mastermind of the
October 1, 2010 bombing in Abuja, Charles Okah, caused a row, by
attempting to commit suicide during Tuesday's proceedings in his trial
before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Okah, after ending an emotion-filled comment about his protracted
trial during the court session, grabbed a nearby chair with which he
made repeated but futile attempts to break a window in order to create
an opening through which he could jump down from the courtroom located
on the third floor of the five-storey building.
His frustration on Tuesday was ignited by his lawyer's absence in court.
Defence lawyers – Mr. Samuel Zibiri and O.O. Otemu – were provided by
the Federal Government-owned Legal Aid Council, after Okah in October
last year, dispensed with the services of a Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus
Keyamo, whose law firm had defended him since the case started in
2010.
Okah, who is standing trial along with Obi Nwabueze for terrorism
charges arising from the October 1, 2010 bombing incident, sought the
permission of the trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, to speak
after it was discovered that his lawyer was not in court.
After the judge granted him permission to speak from the dock, Okah in
an emotional outburst expressed frustration about his long
incarceration and the attendant deprivation of the opportunity to
cater for his family.
Okah said, "I have been incarcerated for about five years now, and I
have a family to cater for.
"My children would grow up without feeling the warmth of their father.
I'm tired of this endless trial."
It took the intervention of lawyers and some other persons who were in
the courtroom for their respective cases to stop his attempt to commit
suicide after his emotion-laden speech.
The chair with which he attempted to break the window was collected
from him after he was overpowered and Justice Kolawole promptly
adjourned the case till October 20.
The lead prosecuting counsel, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN) , was in court
during the Tuesday's dramatic event.
Okah, is a brother to former leader of the Movement for the
Emancipation of the Niger Delta, Henry Okah, who is already serving
jail terms in South Africa for the bombing near the Eagle Square,
Abuja, on October 1, 2010 in which about 12 persons were said to have
died.
The prosecution had a major breakthrough in the case when it called
its first witness on April 23, 2015.
For over four years, Okah and his legal team deployed a flurried
interlocutory applications which hindered progress in the case.
At the opening of his case, Izinyon called the first prosecution
witness, Mr. John Afolabi, who is an exhibit keeper at the Department
of State Services, and through whom 14 exhibits were tendered and
admitted by the court as exhibits on Tuesday.
The witness said during his evidence-in-chief that the items were
retrieved by DSS investigators at "scenes of investigation" into the
bombing incident.
The first exhibit admitted by the trial judge, Justice Gabriel
Kolawole, was a list of items which Afolabi said were retrieved during
the investigation conducted into the bombing by the DSS.
Other exhibits were the 13 items contained in the list. The list
comprised an old Mazda 626 car with registration number LAGOS BY 318
FKJ, military wear and camping materials.
Firstclassnewsline.net