Woman Jailed 2 Years For Supplying Abortion Drugs

Justice M. A. Adegbola of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on Thursday, sentenced a woman, Bolaji Adedeji, to two years imprisonment for illegally supplying drugs to procure abortion.

Adedeji was arraigned in 2024 before the court on a three-count charge in charge No. 1/71C/23.

She was accused of causing the death of one Nasirat Adedamola by illegally injecting her with a dangerous substance without a doctor’s prescription, leading to her death.

Delivering judgment Justice M.A. Adegbola held that the prosecution did not satisfactorily prove the offence on count one, which was murder.

The court therefore discharged and acquitted Adedeji on the murder charge in count one.

However, the court found her guilty on counts two and three.

On count two, which carries a maximum punishment of three years imprisonment under Section 230, Justice Adegbola sentenced her to two years imprisonment.

On count three, which carries a maximum of two years under Section 242(1)(b), he sentenced her to one year and three months imprisonment.

The judge ordered that both sentences should run concurrently.

The court also considered the eight months Adedeji already spent in custody before being admitted to bail, and ordered that the sentence be less the period served.

The judge said he was lenient after considering the plea of the defence counsel to temper justice with mercy.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges, after which trial commenced.

Earlier, the Defence Counsel, Mr Ituah Imhanze, appealed to the court to temper justice with mercy.

Imhanze urged the judge to consider that the convict is a single mother of three children.

He said she attended all proceedings and sittings throughout the trial and that she had spent eight months in prison before being admitted to bail.

The State Prosecution was led by Mr Abiodun Aikomo, Oyo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.

Aikomo acknowledged the judgment, saying justice had been served to all parties, noting that the defendant had shown remorse throughout the proceedings.

The defence counsel acknowledged that interest of justice is not one way, noting that Justice in the case had been served.

He noted that with the prison term structure, Adedeji may not spend up to one year in custody.