Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Magistrates’ Court sitting in Kafanchan, Kaduna State has arraigned one, Mercy Michael for allegedly killing her eight months old daughter with rat poison in the state.
The 30-year-old accused was arraigned before Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kafanchan on Thursday over the incident.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, charged the accused with culpable homicide, contrary to Section 189 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law.
According to NSCDC prosecutor, Mr Marcus Audu, one Godfrey Sunday, a resident of Fadia Bakut, Zonkwa, reported the incident to the Corps’ office on December 11.
Audu told the court that on December 10, the defendant allegedly fed her eight-month-old daughter with rat poison for reasons yet to be explained.
He said that the baby was rushed to the General Hospital in Zonkwa but tragically died the following day.
The prosecutor further said that the case was initially reported to the Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Kafanchan before being referred to NSCDC for investigation.
The presiding judge, Mr. Samson Kwasu, declined to take the plea of the accused, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
Kwasu directed the prosecutor to forward the case file to the State Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.
The judge remanded her in a correctional facility and subsequently adjourned the case to December 17 for further mention.