Man charged to court for filming policemen on duty

A 41-year-old man, Annibong Annankwu, charged with filming policemen while they were performing their lawful duty, on Thursday appeared in an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

The accused, whose occupation was not disclosed, was charged with two counts of assault and breach of peace. Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Kenrich Nomayo, told the court that the accused committed the offences on November 28 at Ojota, Lagos.

He said that the accused conducted himself in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by unlawfully videoing Insp. Eche Adeyi and his team.

Nomayo said that the accused, in the company of three others who rode in a  Honda Accord car, were stopped by the complainant and his team.

He said that initially, they refused to stop and they refused to wind down their window glass. The prosecution said that the attitude of the occupants of the car, prompted the police to search the car.

“During the search, the accused was caught secretly videoing the activities of the police with his phone. He obstructed the complainant and assaulted him while trying to arrest him,” the prosecutor said.

The offence, he said, violated the provisions of sections 168 and 174 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Section 174 stipulates three years imprisonment for assault.

Annankwu, who resides in Ikate, Surulere, Lagos, however, denied committing the offence. Magistrate Mrs T.O Ojo, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum.

Ojo adjourned the case until January 29, 2019 for mention.