Metro

Nigerian Woman In UK On Trial For Starving Son To Death

Published

3 years ago

April 28, 2023

A Nigerian woman, Olabisi Abubakar, 42, from Cardiff, is facing trial in the United Kingdom for two counts of manslaughter and child cruelty relating to the death of her three-year-old son, Taiwo Abubakar.

Olabisi, accused of killing her three-year-old son through religious fasting, told police she had “locked herself away” during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Mail Online.

She is being tried before the Cardiff Crown Court where it was revealed that police forced entry to her flat in the Cathays area on June 29, 2020 after a friend raised concerns for her welfare.

Olabisi, who was thin, malnourished and dehydrated, was found lying on a sofa bed next to the body of her son, Taiwo.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Taiwo weighed 9.8 kilos (22 pounds), with pathologist Dr Stephen Leadbetter finding his death was caused by malnutrition and dehydration.

The court heard Olabisi was sectioned on June 30, 2020 and has remained detained in hospital, where she is being treated for paranoid schizophrenia, Mail Online says.

The prosecutor, Peter Donnison, told the court that Olabisi was deemed fit for police interview in October 2020 and was interviewed by officers on eight occasions.

In one interview, according to Donnison, Olabisi described “the effect on her of the pressures of not having help, fearing coronavirus for herself and her child, and her immigration status.”

Mr Donnison said: “She described them as depressing. She said she was a religious woman and prayed to God and believed he had heard her and answered prayers and kept them safe.

“She had been taking her child out daily but she had to stop doing that due to the coronavirus. She described herself as locking herself away due to the coronavirus and her neighbour.”

Olabisi had been having issues with a neighbour at the property she was living at in Cwmdare Street, Cardiff, and was an asylum seeker.

The court was told that she is a devout Pentecostal Christian and fasts as part of her faith.

Prosecutors allege that Olabisi caused her young son to fast of both food and water along with her, due to fears over the coronavirus pandemic and personal pressures, according to Mail Online.

However, in police interviews Olabisi repeatedly denied this and said children should not fast until the age of 12.

Mr Donnison said: “She said she would dry fast when she wanted to speak to God and hear something from God.

“She said her child did not fast, he did eat, and she gave him food to eat.”

She told police she had fallen asleep on June 26 and believed she had gone to heaven before being brought back to life when her neighbour and police officers arrived.

Donnison said: “Olabisi Abubakar said she couldn’t explain what happened to her. She was asleep on the bed and that is what she remembered last. She said she believed she was being punished by God.”

In a police interview, Olabisi said: “I saw myself among the dead in heaven. I was saying, ‘I don’t want to die’. Then I saw the angels of God and they brought me back to life.”

The court heard a series of facts agreed by the prosecution and defence in the trial, read by Mr Donnison.

This included evidence that health visitors saw Olabisi and Taiwo before the pandemic and had no concerns, including in relation to her religion and religious practices.

They were not seen by healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 lockdown.

In February 2020, a police officer was called to a noise complaint by Olabisi’s neighbour and attended her room, which he described as “clean and warm”.

Taiwo was seen playing loudly and appeared “very energetic” and healthy, Mr Donnison said.

Police searched the property after Taiwo’s body was discovered on June 29 and found a note on food in a fridge, stating: “Do not touch anything, whooping cough, virus, save yourself.”

Olabisi wrote a series of notes while in an ambulance and in hospital, stating she was “very hungry” and “can’t stand up” as well that Taiwo was dead, Mail Online reports.

Olabisi told a police officer in hospital: “I don’t eat, I can’t cook, because of coronavirus I can’t go and buy food.”

Doctors found Olabisi was suffering delusions and she was sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 on June 30 2020, with detention in hospital still ongoing for her to receive treatment.

The jury has been told it is not disputed that Olabisi, who was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to London in 2011, neglected her son but the issue is her state of mind at the time, according to Mail Online.

As Olabisi’s trial continues, the court will have to decide whether Olabisi may have been insane, which would make her not guilty of charges against her by reason of insanity.

Caroline Rees KC is expected to open the defence case for Olabisi, who denies manslaughter and two counts of child cruelty, on Thursday afternoon.

Metro

Kwara Traditional Ruler Kidnapped On His Farm

Published

3 hours ago

November 30, 2025

Editor

Gunmen have reportedly abducted a traditional ruler in Bayagan community in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Ojibara of Bayagan Oba Kamilu Salami, on Saturday.

It was gathered that the traditional ruler was kidnapped Saturday morning on his farm, while details of the incident were still sketchy.

Eyewitness disclosed that the attack happened suddenly and left the community in apprehension and confusion. Meanwhile, the incident had triggered fresh concerns over cases of insecurity across the country.

The Kwara State Police command was yet to confirm the incident as at when filing this report.

Metro

Sokoto Police Arrest Suspected Cultists, Uncover WhatsApp Recruitment Channel

Published

17 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

The Sokoto State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of the notorious “Sai Malam” cult group, believed to be behind rising criminal activities in parts of the state.

The suspects, including the alleged gang leader Usman Shu’aibu, were apprehended on Friday during an intelligence-led operation executed by the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, the suspects confessed to being initiated into the group through a private WhatsApp platform called Red Chamber.

The police noted that further investigation discovered the social media channel was created to recruit unsuspecting youths into criminal activities.

These, according to the statement, include ritual practices, the pursuit of supposed demonic powers, acts of homosexuality, and violent thuggery.

The police warned parents to closely monitor their children’s online activities closely, noting that criminal groups are increasingly exploiting digital platforms to lure vulnerable youths.

Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Musa, said the arrests respond directly to public concerns about the group’s operations, adding that efforts are ongoing to track other fleeing members.

He assured residents of the command’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven policing and safeguarding lives and property across the state.

In other news, two persons suspected to be hoodlums have been arrested by the operatives of the Ondo State Police Command for allegedly stabbing a police officer to death in Akure, the state capital.

The suspects, identified as Shina Jacob, 25, and Felix Olalekan, 32, allegedly attacked the police inspector during an altercation at Oke-Arata within Arakale axis.

The killing of the police officer came a few days after a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was stabbed to death by a mentally unstable man in Oba-Ile area of Akure.

According to sources, after the inspector, who was recently transferred from the Anti-Cultism Unit to B-Division, was stabbed, the area was thrown into a state of panic as residents and traders hurriedly fled.

While confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed that the officer was rushed to the hospital after he was stabbed but gave up the ghost while receiving treatment.

“An altercation ensued between the officer and some recalcitrant individuals, during which the officer was tragically stabbed. This unfortunate event triggered an immediate and coordinated police response.

“Acting swiftly, the Commissioner of Police deployed a team of operatives to the scene, resulting in the arrest of two suspects directly connected to the incident. They include Shina Jacob ‘m’ aged 25 years and Felix Olalekan ‘m’ aged 32 years.

“The injured officer was also rescued and rushed to the hospital; however, despite all efforts, the police inspector sadly passed away while receiving treatment. The follow-up operation conducted last night formed part of the Command’s sustained and strategic efforts to rid the state of violent criminal elements and prevent further breaches of public safety,” Ayanlade stated.”

Metro

Army, Air Force Crush ISWAP Fighters After Failed Chibok Attack

Published

22 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

Troops of the 28 Task Force Brigade, Sector 4 Operation Hadin Kai, on Saturday stopped a major attack by ISWAP/Boko Haram fighters in Chibok, Borno State, before the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) moved in with airstrikes that killed many of the fleeing terrorists.

The report was contained in a post shared on X by security analyst Zagazola Makama.

According to the update, more than 300 terrorists launched a coordinated assault on Chibok around 3:00 a.m., attempting to break through military defensive positions.

Soldiers responded immediately, engaging the attackers in a fierce gunfight that lasted about two hours.

A security source quoted in the post said the troops acted swiftly and professionally.

“There was no casualty on our side, and no equipment was affected,” the source said.

As the terrorists began to retreat toward the Timbuktu Triangle, ground troops called for air support.

NAF combat aircraft were deployed to the route used by the fleeing fighters.

The airstrikes, guided by intelligence from the troops on the ground, hit several clusters of terrorists trying to escape.

Multiple waves of strikes were carried out, with both manned aircraft and an unmanned aerial platform targeting groups of fighters dispersing into the forest.

According to Makama, the combined efforts of the Army and the Air Force dealt heavy blows to the attackers, preventing them from regrouping after the failed offensive.