Woman drugs to death baby she rented to beg

A rent-a-baby beggar, Hafsa Asirinka Ibrahim, has appeared before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State for allegedly drugging a baby to death.
The accused, 40, is facing a two-count charge of murder and conspiracy.
The plea of the accused was, however, not taken.
The Magistrate, Helen Omisore, ordered that the accused be remanded at Ikoyi Prisons pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Prosecutor, Edet Ekpo, had told the court that the accused committed the offences on November 15, 2016 at about 9.46pm 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.
Ekpo said: “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 (now deceased) and did not know that she had given her an overdose.
“The baby did not wake up again as a result of the overdose.”
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.