Court remands fisherman for ‘throwing his six-week-old baby into lagoon’

A magistrate court in Yaba, Lagos, has remanded Fatai Yusuf, a 27-year-old fisherman, for allegedly throwing his six-week-old daughter into a lagoon.

P.E. Nwaka, the chief magistrate, gave the remand order in Lagos on Wednesday.

According to NAN, Thomas Nurudeen, the prosecutor, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on December 27, 2020, at Ajanaku area in Badagry.

He explained that the defendant’s wife had dropped their sick baby with the fisherman, so that she could attend to her business.

The prosecutor alleged that the defendant had taken the baby and his first son to the lagoon at Ajanaku area, and threw her into the lagoon in the presence of his son who tried to stop him.

The prosecutor told the court that when the defendant’s wife returned home, he claimed that his brother had taken the baby to hospital.

He said after the truth had come out, Yusuf’s elder brother reported the case to the police.

The magistrate ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Ikoyi custodial centre, pending legal advice from the Lagos state Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The case was adjourned till February 23 for continuation.

The defendant is currently facing a one-count charge of murder for his alleged crime, which is punishable under section 223 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos state, 2015 (Revised).