Grandmother sentenced to jail for dumping day old baby in bush

A Magistrate Court sitting in Okitipupa, Ondo state has sentenced a grandmother, Mrs Bosede Oyetunde, to one month imprisonment for allegedly throwing a day old baby boy into the bush.

Oyetunde, 36, was said to have committed the offence at about 8pm on July 4, 2017 at Omotosho area in Okitipupa local government area of the state with her daughter, Opeyemi Isaac, the mother of the day old boy.

According to the charge against the accused persons, the two conspired together to commit felony to wit murder and did unlawfully attempted to kill a day old baby boy by wrapping the child in a nylon bag and throw him into the bush.

The prosecutor, DSP Ojumu Olayemi, said the offence committed by the accused contravened sections 516, and 320(2) of the criminal Code Cap 37, Vol1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.

Olayemi explained that investigation by the men of the police command from Igbotako led to the arrest of the first accused while the second accused was arrested after the investigation.

The Police officer who was in charge of children special center, ‘A’ Division Akure, said since the arrest of the two accused the boy has been in the custody of the police, disclosing that the christening of the boy was performed at the police station.

The accused persons however did not deny the offence but pleaded guilty to the two count charges when it was read to them.

Oyetunde, 36, explained that she decided to throw the day old boy away because of the state mind of the mother of the baby, saying the fear of how to take care of the baby prompted her to throw the baby into the bush and attributed her action to work of devil

However, in her ruling, Chief Magistrate Mrs O.A Edwin sentenced the first accused (Oyetunde) to one month imprisonment while she ordered the second accused to be taken to hospital for mental assessment.

The magistrate also ordered that the little boy should continue to be in the care of the Ondo State children home while she ordered the mother to be breastfeeding the baby.