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Court Remands Nursing Mother For Allegedly Killing Her Baby

A Magistrate Court sitting in the Igbosere area of Lagos Island has ordered the remand of a 22-year-old nursing mother, Olufunmilola Adisa, accused of killing her baby.

Magistrate Doja-Ojo on Wednesday ordered that Adisa be remanded at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) where she will undergo psychiatric evaluation.

The evaluation is to enable medical authorities to determine the state of her mental health.

Adisa was accused by the police of drowning her 21-month-old child in a bucket of water.

The remand order was made after an application by the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender (OPD) who is representing the nursing mother probono.

The OPD through it’s Director, Dr Babajide Martins, based its application on Section 217 (3) of Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), 2015.
Magistrate Doja-Ojo granted the prayer and adjourned till June 26, for the outcome of the tests.

According to a temporary charge marked C/42d/2020 attached to the OPD’s application, “Adisa Oluwafunmilayo on May 11, 2020 at about 2020 hours at Plot 222, 21/211 Road Gowon Estate, Alimosho Local Government Area (LGA) Lagos… unlawfully killed one Adisa Oluwanifemi, female, aged one and a half years, by drowning her in a bucket of water and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

The charge was signed by Deputy Superintendent (DSP), Yetunde Cardoso.
Speaking after the court session, Martins said the OPD is representing Adisa in line with its statutory responsibility of providing free legal service for the indigent and vulnerable.

He also said the OPD came to her rescue by providing free legal representation and ensuring that the suspect was timely moved from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti to the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Oshodi as an out-patient pending her arraignment for further judicial action.

Angela Davies