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

APC Chieftain Killed In Suspected Zamfara Bandit Attack

Published

2 minutes ago

November 15, 2025

Editor

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Zamfara State, Umar Moriki, has been reportedly killed by gunmen suspected to be armed bandits.

As reported by Channels TV, the incident occurred on Saturday morning along the Gusau–Tsafe highway near Fegi village in Tsafe Local Government Area while Moriki was travelling from Gusau to Kaduna.

The state chapter of the APC, led by Tukur Danfulani, confirmed the death, calling it “a tragic loss for both the party and the state.”

According to a statement issued by the Publicity Secretary of the party in Zamfara State, Yusuf Idris, the late APC stalwart had just participated in the party’s stakeholders’ meeting hosted by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.

Moriki held several prominent political roles during his career, including Vice Chairman of Zurmi Local Government Area, Director-General of a state agency, and Special Adviser on Rural Electrification. He also contested for the Zurmi/Shinkafi House of Representatives seat in the 2023 elections.

He died at the age of 62 and is survived by three wives and several children.

The Zamfara APC described him as “a committed party leader and community advocate who dedicated his life to public service and humanitarian work.”

According to The PUNCH, a similar incident occurred a month ago , whereby five policemen and three Community Protection Guards were killed by bandits in Zamfara State.

An indigene of the area, Ya,u Musa, told The PUNCH that the victims were on patrol along the road and were ambushed by bandits.

Musa said, “The victims were approaching Gidan-Giye village, a few kilometres away from Tsafe town, the headquarters of Tsafe Local Government, when suddenly, the bandits came out of their hiding place, and opened fire on their vehicle.”

Metro

PHOTOS: NAFDAC Destroys Fake Products Worth N20bn In Oyo

Published

18 minutes ago

November 15, 2025

Editor

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on Friday destroyed counterfeit, expired, banned, and substandard products valued at N20 billion during its South-West Zonal Destruction Flag-off Ceremony at the Moniya Dumpsite in Ibadan.

The exercise, NAFDAC said, is part of ongoing efforts to safeguard public health by permanently removing unsafe, falsified, and violative products from circulation, a release shared by the agency on its website and social media handle noted.

Items destroyed included substandard and falsified medicines, unsafe processed foods, counterfeit cosmetics, and various expired goods seized from manufacturers, importers, and distributors across the South-West.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, commended the collaboration with other enforcement agencies, highlighting the scale of the operation:

“We commend the strong partnership with @CustomsNG, especially the recent handover of 25 containers of counterfeit and substandard pharmaceuticals, including a reefer container, for destruction.

“This is a clear demonstration of our collective commitment to protecting the health of Nigerians.”

Adeyeye also acknowledged the support of the “Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps,” describing it as crucial in the “sustained national fight against counterfeiters.”

She reiterated NAFDAC’s resolve to continue targeting unsafe products.

The agency boss stated, “Our mandate is to ensure that unsafe, falsified, and violative products are permanently removed from circulation.

“We will continue to work relentlessly to safeguard the health and wellbeing of every Nigerian.”

According to the release, the destruction exercise, which drew officials and stakeholders from across the region, underscores NAFDAC’s proactive approach to tackling counterfeit goods that pose serious risks to public safety.

Metro

My Wife Is Childless, Refuses To Pray, Fights Me All The Time, Man Tells Court

Published

12 hours ago

November 15, 2025

Editor

Grade A Customary Court, sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has adjourned until November 24, for further hearing on the divorce suit brought before it by a man, Anjorin, against his wife, Omolabake, whom he accused of irresponsibility, barreness, constant fight and disobedience.

Anjorin stated that their 8-year-old marriage had produced no child because his wife was barren. He also said that Omolabake was in the habit of flouting his orders.

The plaintiff added that the defendant was fond of going out without his consent while she always abandoned her duties in the home.

The plaintiff further said that he regarded the defendant as a heathen since she refused to pray.

Anjorin, therefore, prayed for the dissolution of their wedlock.

Omolabake denied all the allegations brought against her.

She conceded to divorce.

Anjorin, in his evidence, said, “I got married to my wife in 2017, but I did not pay her bride price. “Unfortunately, our 8-year-old union has not produced any child.

“My wife has made our relationship non-interesting to me because of her atrocities.

“Omolabake has refused to be submissive to me. She plans to usurp my position as head of the home.

“My wife flouts my instructions at will and would dare that I did my worst.

“She abandoned her duty of keeping the home.

“My wife refused to do the house chores and always left our home unkempt.

“I took up the responsibility of doing the house chores, but my wife remained ungrateful.

“Omolabake took to leaving home without my consent and would return whenever it pleased her.

“The more I showed my displeasure at this, the worse she became.

“She fights me any time I complain of her misbehaviour.

“My wife is a heathen.

She does not observe the prayer hours as it is expected of her as a Muslim.

“My lord, I am not happy in our marriage because Omolabake has refused that I have rest of mind.