Why American Woman Was Locked Up In Lagos Cell

Megan Chapman, who is the Co-Executive Director of Justice Empowerment Initiative, is an American woman, in the morning of Monday, May 6, 2015 she was locked up in the waiting cell of the Federal High court of Lagos State for allegedly operating her phone during a court session.
Chapman who was in court for a fundamental rights suit filed by her group against the Ojora of Lagos, Chief Abdul Fatai Aromire, operated her phone while Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia was reviewing the case brought before her.

The presiding judge immediately ordered that Chapman be escorted out of the court room and remanded in the court waiting cell.

She was held up for 20 minutes in the court cell and later released after much plea from lawyers and judicial workers. 

Narrating the incident, the American woman said, “The incident happened at about 9am. I didn’t know the rules of the court so I was replying an urgent message.

“It was not like I wanted to disrespect the court. The incident today only made me know the rules of the Nigerian law court. 

“I was later invited by the Judge to her chambers and she accepted my apology. The prison officials were also nice.”