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

Delta Police Arrest Suspected Serial Killer

Published

13 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Editor

The Delta State police command has announced the arrest of a suspected serial killer and a prison escapee linked to multiple violent crimes in the past.

The suspect, known as Michael Ezenwai, was apprehended by the Agbor police division of the state on October 24, 2025, while he was attempting to sell a stolen phone.

Meanwhile, further checks revealed the phone belonged to a woman who was later found dead in her apartment.

During interrogation, the suspect confessed to murdering her during a robbery at her residence on 23rd October 2025.

Ezenwai has been linked to multiple violent crimes, including a 2020 rape and murder case involving a university student.

Commenting on the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command, SP Bright Edafe, said the command swiftly took action after receiving a distress call.

“On the 24th of October 2025, the DPO Agbor received a complaint that one Michael Ezenwai was trying to sell a suspected stolen phone.

“The DPO swiftly mobilised operatives to the scene and immediately arrested the suspect. Upon interrogation, the suspect claimed that he brought the phone from Libya.

The DPO swiftly mobilised operatives to the scene and immediately arrested the suspect. Upon interrogation, the loop suspect claimed that he brought the phone from Libya,” she said.

Edafe said the suspect thereafter stated that he went on a robbery operation at her house on October 23, 2025, and murdered her when she refused to let go of her motorcycle keys, and also made away with her mobile phones.

He said preliminary investigation later revealed that the suspect is a serial murderer and was part of the syndicate that raped and murdered Uwaila Omorzua, a 200-level student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), who was murdered in the church when she went to study in 2020.

“The suspect further stated that he escaped from the Oko correctional centre during the EndSARS 2020 jailbreak. The suspect is in custody, and the investigation is ongoing,” the spokesman stated.

The suspect is currently in custody as the police continue their investigation.

In other news, Edafe has listed some of the achievements recorded from October to date by the Delta State Police Command under the leadership of CP Olufemi Abaniwonda.

He listed the number of firearms recovered as 13, number of ammunition and cartridges recovered – 591, number of kidnapped victims rescued – five, and total number of suspects arrested – 77.

Metro

Many Killed In Ibadan Gas Explosion

Published

13 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Editor

File photo

Several people were killed on Friday night after a gas explosion rocked the Bioku-Alaadun area in Ibadan, Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The explosion occurred while a tanker was discharging gas into a retail outlet. Casualties reportedly included the owner of the gas shop and others who were nearby at the time of the incident.

The General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Yemi Akinyinka, confirmed the incident, saying operatives were already on the ground working to contain the situation. He noted that while there were casualties, full details were still being compiled.

Akinyinka said: “The emergency call was reported at exactly 19:40 on Friday, November 21, 2025, through a telephone call from Pastor Oyebamiji regarding a gas tanker explosion at the above address.

“Immediately the call was received, the Agency’s personnel, led by CFS Adedeji (Mrs.), promptly responded and were deployed to the scene.

“Upon arrival, a gas tanker, Reg. No. LSR268YC, loaded with 15 tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), was transferring its contents into a gas skid tank when it exploded.

“The blast damaged two commercial buildings and a residential building. Three persons were rescued and handed over to a team of policemen from Akanran Division.

“The operation was carried out jointly with a crew of firemen from the Federal Fire Service, Ibadan Command. While the explosion sparked panic among residents, the prompt response of our officers helped contain the situation.”

The fire service chairman urged the public to always observe safety precautions when handling petroleum products, emphasizing the importance of obtaining approvals from the Fire Service, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), and other relevant stakeholders before installing gas tanks or cylinders to avoid unnecessary explosions.

He assured the community that all necessary fire safety measures had been taken and that an investigation team would be dispatched to determine the root cause of the incident to prevent future occurrences.

He added: “Let our people continue with their daily activities without fear. The presence of the Executive Chairman of Ona Ara Local Government, Dr. Temitope Kolapo, was highly appreciated.”

Metro

Zamfara Police Repel Bandits’ Attack, Rescue 25 Kidnapped Victims

Published

13 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Editor

The Zamfara State Police Command has revealed that its operatives repelled an attack by bandits and rescued 25 kidnapped victims on Friday night.

According to a statement issued by the command’s spokesman, DSP Yazid Abubakar, the rescued victims included 10 women and 15 of their children.

Abubakar said that the victims were kidnapped in Kuraje village of Damba area unit in Gusau Local Government Area of the state.

According to him, immediately the police received the information on the abduction, a joint team swiftly mobilised to the scene on a rescue mission.

He explained that the police and the State’s Community Protection Guards pursued the fleeing bandits and engaged them in a coordinated and fire-for-fire operation, saying that the kidnapped victims were rescued unhurt and were reunited with their families.

“On 21st November 2025 at about 21:45 hours, a group of armed bandits in large numbers, wielding dangerous weapons and firing sporadically, attacked Kuraje village in the Damba area of Gusau LGA.

“During the attack, the assailants abducted 10 women along with 15 of their children, all residents of the community.

“Upon receiving the distress call, joint police patrol teams from Damba Division and the Department of Operations, Gusau, working in collaboration with the Community Protection Guards (CPG), swiftly mobilised to the scene.

“The team confirmed the incident, pursued the fleeing bandits, and engaged them in a coordinated and strategic operation.

“Thanks to the professionalism, gallantry, and swift response of the operatives, all twenty-five (25) abducted victims were successfully rescued unhurt.

“They were immediately relocated to Sabongari Damba for safety and proper profiling. The rescued women and children have since been reunited with their families.

“The State’s Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Balarabe Maikaba commended the bravery and dedication of the officers involved in the operation.”

He reassured the public of the command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state.

In other news, the police in Kebbi State have cautioned residents against embarking on any form of protest over the recent abduction of students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga.

In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi, the command said it had received intelligence indicating that some groups and non-governmental organisations were planning to stage demonstrations in reaction to the incident.

Kotarkoshi noted that the current security situation in the state remains fragile and unsuitable for protests or public gatherings, warning that such actions could trigger violence and disrupt ongoing rescue operations.

“While the police acknowledge the public concern over the abduction, the command views any planned protest as misguided and counterproductive,” he said.

(Guardian)