On Wednesday, A Magistrate Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja sentenced Ameerah Sufyan to 12 months of psychiatric care for raising a false kidnap alarm. On June 14, 2022, Ameerah alleged in a Twitter post that she and 16 other residents of Abuja, including 3 pregnant women and 2 children were abducted at gunpoint by men in police uniforms and taken to a forest.
She tweeted, “Please whoever has my WhatsApp number, I sent a broadcast message of my location. We were abducted at gunpoint by people with police uniforms and a van from our houses from different parts of Abuja. We’re 17 including 3 pregnant women and 2 little kids. They didn’t see my phone”.
The twitter post elicited negative reactions across social media platforms with Nigerians criticizing the government over worsening insecurity.
After days of search, Ameerah was found on June 17 by the FCT Police Command undergoing treatment at a mental health facility in Lagos.
Ameerah pleaded guilty to a one-count charge in which she was accused of misleading the police, an offence under section 140 of the Penal Code.
The prosecutor, James Idachaba then tendered a medical report which indicated that the Defendant was battling with mental illness when she raised the false kidnap alarm.
He, therefore, urged the court to put her under the supervision of the Police Counselling Unit, for a regular review of her mental state.
Chinyere Moneme, the defence lawyer agreed with the prosecutor, following which the presiding Magistrate, Chukuwemeka Nweke ordered that the Defendant be released conditionally to a female Police Probation Officer, Hauwa Ibrahim, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).
Ameerah is expected to undergo psychiatric care for a period of 12 months, under the supervision of her assigned Probation Officer.