Group Seeks Psychiatric Evaluation for Woman who Allegedly Drowned her One-year-old Baby in Lagos

Matilda Omonaiye/

A civil society organisation, Prisoners Rights Advocacy Initiative (PRAI), has petitioned the Attorney General of Lagos State to request a mandatory psychiatric evaluation for a lady, Funmilola Adisa, who allegedly drowned her one-year-old daughter in a bucket of water in Lagos recently.

The 23-year-old single mother reportedly killed the child in a rented apartment she shares with her elder sister at Gowon Estate, Egbeda, on May 11.

She thereafter reported herself at a nearby police station.

She is currently being detained by the police at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba.

The letter, written by PRAI on behalf of Postpartum Support Network Africa, is dated May 19 and entitled: ‘Appeal for Psychiatric Evaluation and Treatment of Funmilola Adisa, who Killed her Baby.’

The group appealed to the Attorney General “to be emphatic towards Miss Funmilola rather than adopting punitive measures based on the very visible psychiatrist condition gleaned from her video interview”.

The letter was signed by PRAI’s Director, Ahmed Adetola-Kazeem and copied the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, the Solicitor General/Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The group believes that the suspect could be suffering from postpartum psychosis, a severe mental illness that affects one in every one thousand women after childbirth.

The disease is characterised by an impairment in rational thinking and disconnection from reality. Sufferers are also said to be prone to harming themselves or their babies.

When contacted by NewsmakersNG today to confirm if the suspect would be made to undergo psychiatric examination, spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Bala Elkana, said he was not at liberty to disclose details of an ongoing investigation.

He however assured that detectives at the SCIID are “thoroughbred professionals who will not overlook anything in their investigation”.

While speaking with journalists immediately after her arrest, Funmilola said, “I drowned my baby inside a bucket filled with water on Monday. Thereafter, I reported myself at the Gowon Estate Division. The police did not come immediately; but when they did, they found the dead baby inside the bucket.

“I was impregnated by a boy who attended the same JAMB lesson with me. But he rejected the pregnancy. I wanted to abort the pregnancy but my father said no.

“I passed my JAMB and was offered admission to study Law at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, but I had to defer the admission because of the baby.

“I wanted to take her to the orphanage home at first, when it became difficult to take care of her. I live with my sister who has no job and I am also not working. I felt there was no use keeping her since I could not take care of her.

“I killed her because I was frustrated but most importantly because she stood in the way of actualizing my dream of becoming a lawyer.”

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