By Emma Black
Two Nigerian nationals, Momodu Rakim and Yusuf Sheika, sparked pandemonium on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, when they tried to bolt from custody at Pademba Road Court. Facing trial before Magistrate Shar Kekura at Court No. 1 for alleged cocaine possession, the pair seized a fleeting chance to flee—exposing cracks in courtroom security.
Remanded at Pademba Road Correctional Centre, Rakim and Sheika were at court for a hearing when they made their move. Eyewitnesses recount a tense scene: the duo, unshackled in a holding cell, sat chatting with two female visitors. As prison officers’ attention drifted, the inmates sprang into action, darting through the court and aiming for motorbikes outside, they walked fast, like they’d planned it, one onlooker said.
A lone female officers shout They’re escaping snapped the guards back to reality. Chaos exploded. Officers tore after the pair, abandoning other prisoners in a frantic chase. The scuffles clamour spilled onto the street, pulling crowds and spiking tension across the premises.
The escape bid crumbled fast. Police reinforcements stormed in, joining prison officers to nab Rakim and Sheika before they could vanish, it was a mess shouting, running, people everywhere, a bystander recalled. Order teetered but held as authorities muscled the situation under control.
A secure correctional van rolled up, whisking all inmates including the would-be escapees back to Pademba Road Correctional Centre. This could have been deadly, a prison officer admitted; we acted quickly to stop a disaster.
The close call has triggered an internal probe, how did two high-risk inmates nearly slip away from a bustling court where were the officers when it started onlookers demanded, pointing to the lapse that let the plan ignite. Security protocols are now under the microscope, with officials vowing tighter measures.
The incident lays bare vulnerabilities at local courts—lax oversight, crowded cells, and a system stretched thin. This isn’t just a breach; it’s a wake-up call, a court official said, for now, Rakim and Sheika are back behind bars, their trial and scrutiny of court safety set to resume.