A 40-year-old rent-a-baby beggar identified as Hafsa Asirinka Ibrahim, who is facing a two-count charge of murder and conspiracy, has appeared before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, for allegedly drugging a baby to death.
According to Vanguard, the Magistrate, Mrs Helen Omisore, ordered that the accused be remanded at Ikoyi Prisons pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) as the accused’s plea was, however, not taken.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Edet Ekpo had told the court that the accused committed the offences on Nov. 15, 2016 at about 9.46 p.m. at Balogun area of Lagos Island.
He alleged that the accused was in the business of taking babies from their mother for alms begging on the streets to pay them later. “The accused will drug them to sleep throughout the day while begging for alms on the road.
“On the said date, the accused administered a sleeping drug on a nine-month-old Hassana Jemilo which he did not know that he had given her an overdose. The baby did not wake up again as a result of the overdose,” he said.
The offences contravened Sections 223 and 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state, 2015. Further hearing in the case has been adjourned to May 16.
