Nigerian Mum’s Heartbreak After Daughter Drowns in Bin While Left with Strangers for Hospital Visit

A Nigerian mother has shared her heartbreak after her two-year-old daughter, Mazeedat, tragically drowned in a garden bin in London. The devastating incident occurred after Balikis Adeoye, who had moved to the UK from Nigeria in 2021, was forced to leave her daughter with strangers while she attended to her sick baby son in hospital.

Balikis, a mother of two, described her daughter as a “beautiful and happy” child who brought joy to her life. Speaking at an inquest, she revealed that she did not know or trust the individuals who were caring for Mazeedat on January 29, 2022, when the tragedy unfolded. At the time, Balikis had no other choice but to leave her daughter in their care so that she could be with her three-month-old son, who was undergoing heart surgery.

Mazeedat was found in the garden bin hours after an alarm was raised. The bin contained nine centimeters of water, and a post-mortem determined that drowning was the cause of death. The inquest at East London Coroner’s Court heard that Balikis had repeatedly asked for support from Newham Council, but despite her pleas, no foster placement had been arranged for her daughter. Instead, she was advised to seek help from friends.

The inquest revealed that Balikis had been referred to social services months before the incident, as she was living in temporary accommodation and facing difficulties accessing public funds after separating from her partner. Despite the circumstances, the council did not provide adequate assistance, and the toddler was left in the care of people her mother did not know well enough.

The inquest concluded that Mazeedat’s death resulted from “gross failure” in the supervision of her care, with the local authority failing to ensure proper support for the family. The coroner highlighted that if the opportunity to secure a foster placement had been taken, Mazeedat’s death might have been prevented. The coroner plans to issue a prevention of future deaths report.

A spokesperson for Newham Council expressed their condolences, stating that after the incident, they conducted an internal investigation and overhauled their social work practices. The changes have been recognized by Ofsted, who now rate their services as “Good.”

Balikis, who will forever cherish the memories of her daughter’s short life, spoke out in the hope that her tragedy will help other families avoid similar pain.