A 25-year-old woman, Ms Toyin Akinbobola, has been
sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment for dumping her day-old baby
inside a pit toilet at her idanre home, Ondo State.
Akinbobola, who was found guilty by a Chief
Magistrate in the Idanre Judicial Division, Mrs. Folashade Aduroja, last Friday
dumped the baby in the toilet minutes after giving birth to her on October 18.
Our correspondent learnt that a young boy who
wanted to use the toilet moments after Akinbobola carried out the criminal act
had drawn the attention of other neighbours to the cry of the baby inside the
toilet.
Some of residents who rushed to the scene
immediately reported the matter at Olofin Police Station.
The baby was said to have been covered with
excreta and maggots when she was removed from the stench by policemen drafted
to the scene.
The baby, it was learnt, was taken to Idanre
General Hospital from where she was referred to the Mother and Child Hospital
in Akure for a comprehensive medical treatment.
Although the baby’s life was saved, medical
reports indicated that one of her ears and left eye were not functional again.
The baby was taken to the Motherless babies’ home
on Akure-Oba-Ile Road where she is currently being attended to on the
directives of the state’s Ministry of Women Affairs.
The police could not arrest the mother of the
baby and the person who impregnated her immediately because they had both fled
the town.
However, Akinbobola was later sighted at Omifun
village where her mother had a farm and was arrested by the police.
She was arraigned on a three-count including
an attempted murder contrary to Section 324 of the Criminal Code Cap 30 Laws of
Ondo State, 1978.
Five witnesses testified in the case which lasted
a few weeks.
However, there was a melodrama in the court on
Friday when the defence counsel pleaded with the magistrate, before delivering
her judgment, to temper justice with mercy because Akinbobola was pregnant
again.
The magistrate, who was obviously shocked by the
piece of information, asked Akinbobola whether the information was true or not.
In her response, Akinbobola confessed that one of
her mother’s labourers on the farm was responsible for the pregnancy.
But the magistrate said Akinbobola was guilty and
sentenced her to two and a half years imprisonment, adding that her case would
serve as a deterrent to others.
The convict will serve her prison term at Olokuta
Prisons, Akure.
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