Mother Jailed For 6 Years For Burying Her Only Child Alive

A Magistrate Court sitting in Osogbo yesterday sentenced an 18-year-old mother of one, Mrs. Adeola Joseph, to six years imprisonment with hard labour for burying her only child alive.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Olusola Aluko, ruled that the convict did not deserve to be in the midst of human beings and looked unrepentant of her action, stressing that, “the convict is callous and may not change from her devilish act.” Mrs. Joseph was said to have buried her only child, Fatia Nafiu alive, at her residence located at Ijetu area of Osogbo.
According to the Police Prosecutor, Mr. Solomon Oladele, Mrs. Joseph buried her child in the early hours of Monday, February 18, 2012 and a good Samaritan, Prophetess Tunrayo Akinwande who lived around the area, rescued the child after two days. Oladele said the intervention of Prophetess Akinwande and other residents of the area who exhumed Fatia from the grave and took her to the hospital.
The two-year-old innocent baby miraculously was still alive after two days in grave. He said the convict had, through her actions, committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Sections 320(1) and 509 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. 11, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2003. The convict who was slammed with a three-count charge of attempted murder, felony and breach of peace pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy. She claimed that her parents were not favourably disposed to her marriage with the father of her child and had since been living alone without assistance from any individual, hence her resolve to terminate the life of the baby.
Also, the convict told the court that she decided to kill the baby due to her decision to relocate to Lagos in search of job and could not bear the responsibilities of the baby in addition with hers in Lagos. It was gathered that the convict had made several attempts to kill the child before her last attempt, which landed her in prison.