by ‘Jola Sotubo

A young woman in Lagos has been arrested and charged to court over allegations that she killed her own baby.

Rafiat Oseni, a salesgirl, is said to have given birth to the baby boy in a public toilet and abandoned him there.

Ms. Oseni was arraigned for the offence before a Magistrate court in the Ebute Metta area of the state and she was remanded to prison pending the determination of the case.

The Eagle Online reports:

The Chief Magistrate, S.O. Solebo, who did not take the plea of the accused, remanded her in prison custody pending legal advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions. Solebo adjourned the case till March 10 for mention.

The Prosecutor, Inspector Richard Odigie, told the court that the crime was committed on January 3 at about 2.30pm at Alaba Rago Market, Ojo in Lagos.

Odigie said that the accused, who was pregnant, went into a public toilet in the market to ease herself and delivered the baby.

He said: “The accused delivered in the toilet and left the baby there and ran away.

“The next user saw the baby and alerted the woman in charge of the toilet. “They tried to rescue the baby but he died as they were rushing him to a nearby hospital. “The following day, the baby’s mother was seen in the market and the woman in charge of the toilet confronted her and later invited the police.”