Court Sends Mother Accused of Drowning Child for Psychiatric Evaluation at LASUTH

Matilda Omonaiye/

A woman who claimed to have drowned her 21-month-old daughter in a bucket of water has been sent for psychiatric evaluation when she appeared in court today.

The Lagos State magistrate’s court at Igbosere sent the 22-year-old mother, Olufunmilola Adisa to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Psychiatric department for psychiatric evaluation over the killing of her daughter, Oluwanifemi, by drowning her in a bucket of water. 

Delivering her ruling today in Lagos, the presiding magistrate, Mrs. Dora Ojo, granted the application of the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender (OPD) representing the defendant that “based on section 217 (3) of Lagos State Administration of the Criminal Justice Law of 2015, the defendant should be sent and remanded at the teaching hospital for necessary psychiatric test in order to determine her state of mental health”.

The defendant on May 11, 2020 was arrested after she allegedly killed her daughter by drowning her in a bucket of water at their Gowon Estate residence, in Alimosho area of Lagos.

Speaking on the matter, the director, Lagos State Office of the Public Defender (OPD), Dr Babajide Martins said that the Office “in line with its statutory responsibility of providing free legal service for the indigent and vulnerable is representing the defendant”.

He said OPD came to her rescue by providing free legal representation and ensured that the suspect was timely moved from the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, to Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Oshodi as an outpatient pending her arraignment before the court for further judicial action.

Martins added that, though the case had been adjourned to June 26, 2020, for the outcome of the Psychiatric examination to be conducted on the defendant, he assured members of the public that OPD would do everything within the legal framework to defend her.

“This is in consonance with Mr Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-olu’s commitment to ‘security and Governance’ pillar of T.H.E.M.E.S agenda, that all citizens get access to justice regardless of their socio-economic background.

“He, therefore, urged members of the public that the Office is still operating within the directive of the state government during the lockdown in order to ensure that rights of the defenceless are well taken care of irrespective socio-economic background,” says a statement from the Director, Public Affairs at OPD, Mr Mamud Hassan.

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