Woman jailed 6 years for burying only child alive

A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, on Wednesday, sentenced an 18-year-old mother of one, Mrs Adeola Joseph, to six years imprisonment with hard labour for burying her only child alive for three days. Presiding Magistrate, Mr Olusola Aluko, held that the convict did not deserve to be in the midst of human beings and looked unperturbed by her criminal action, saying that “the convict is callous and may not change from her devilish act.”
Mrs Joseph was said to have buried her only child, Fatia Nafiu, alive at her residence located at Ijetu area of Osogbo.
The Police Prosecutor, Mr Solomon Oladele, told the court that the convict, Mrs Joseph,  buried her child in the early hours of Monday, February 18, 2012 and the child was rescued after two days by a Good Samaritan, Prophetess Tunrayo Akinwande, who lived around the vicinity.
He said the timely intervention of Prophetess Akinwande and other residents of the area, who exhumed Fatia from the grave and took her to the hospital, salvaged the two-year old innocent child who was still alive after two days in the grave.
Oladele maintained that the convict had, through her actions, committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Sections 320 (1) and 509 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, vol 11, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2003.
The convict, who was arraigned on a three-count charge of attempted murder, felony and breach of peace, begged the court to temper justice with mercies.
She claimed that her parents were not favourably disposed to her marriage with the father of her child and had since been living alone without assistance from any individual, a development, which encouraged her to terminate the life of the baby.
Also, the convict told the court that she decided to kill the baby due to her decision to relocate to Lagos in search of job and could not bear the responsibilities of the baby in addition with hers in Lagos.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that the convict had made several attempts to kill the child before her last botched attempt.