Woman Remanded in Custody for Allegedly Killing Daughter with Rat Poison in Kaduna

A 30-year-old woman, Mercy Michael, was remanded in a correctional facility by a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, on Thursday, following accusations of killing her eight-month-old daughter with rat poison. Michael is facing a charge of culpable homicide under Section 189 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law.

The case was brought before the court by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), after Godfrey Sunday, a resident of Fadia Bakut in Zonkwa, reported the incident on December 11. According to the NSCDC prosecutor, Mr. Marcus Audu, Michael allegedly administered rat poison to her daughter on December 10 for reasons still under investigation.

The baby was rushed to the General Hospital in Zonkwa but tragically passed away the following day. The case was initially reported to the Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Kafanchan, before being handed over to the NSCDC for further investigation.

Presiding over the case, Judge Samson Kwasu declined to take the plea of the accused, citing the court’s lack of jurisdiction. He instructed the prosecutor to forward the case file to the State Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice and adjourned the case until December 17 for further mention.