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BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 4 May 2023

Source: BBC

UK court rule on case of Nigerian wey face accuse of di death of her son by fasting

House wia Ms Abubakar and Taiwo bin dey stay wen police storm enta for 2020 House wia Ms Abubakar and Taiwo bin dey stay wen police storm enta for 2020

Cardiff Crown Court don clear 42-year-old Olabisi Abubakar of accuse say she kill her three-year-old son, Taiwo with religious fasting.

Di court bin find her not guilty of manslaughter and cruelty sake of di reason of insanity.

Dem go however impose hospital order on am from Tuesday afta dem hear wetin psychiatrist tok.

Di 42-year-old start to dey cry as di judge Mrs Justice Nerys Jefford start to dey tok to di jury.

She say, "Dis na very sad case. She be caring mama wey suffer from serious mental illness wey make her pikin die"

Di court bin hear for statement say di three-year-old, Taiwo bin weigh only like 9.8kg and bin don die of malnutrition and dehydration wen dem find dem.

Ms Abubakar bin deny di charges of manslaughter and neglect wey dey her neck.

She currently dey attend court through video call as she dey collect treatment for hospital ontop her paranoid schizophrenia.

Prosecutor, Peter Donnison tell di jury say health visitors bin "no get worry about di way di boy bin dey raised".

Di family bin no get contact with di boy and im mama from di time di first lockdown start till June of 2020 wen dem find di small boy dead.

Ms Abubakar tell police say she bin fast and pray make she "tok to God" but deny say Taiwo bin follow am for di fasting.

She say wen she bin dey fast, "I know my prayers go dey answered."

'She bin dey fear to comot'

Ms Abubakar na asylum seeker from Nigeria wey comot London go Cardiff for 2017.

She bin move from Nigeria go UK for 2011 wia she stay with her sister for London before she go Cardiff.

She become asylum seeker afta she born her son.

Wen Taiwo die, she bin dey live for one shared apartment wia she and her neighbours dey share di kitchen.

Di court hear say na Home Office bin make her move go di city.

She start to dey go her local church and di pastor wife bin dey go visit her for house, but afta lockdown, she bin say she bin no get any visitors.

She bin tell detectives say she bin dey fear to comot go outside because of di pandemic and bin dey very depressed sake of say she no get help.

Di shared house bin get garden but she and Taiwo no near dia.

Wen dem find her and her pikin for 29 June, Ms Abubakar bin no fit even stand.

One police officer follow am tok as she dey collect treatment for di University Hospital of Wales for Cardiff, say she bin dey "look through am, and not at am" and later ask am "na you kill my boy?"

'God carry Taiwo go'

On Monday, consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Tom Wynne, tell di trial say wen im interview Ms Abubakar, she tell am say "God bin carry Taiwo go."

Dr Wynne say she "no feel responsible for di death" and "refuse say she try harm di pikin."

Di court hear sat di outbreak of Covid and di follow come lockdown na im cause di ogbonge fall in Ms Abubakar mental health. She tell doctors say she hear di voice of God and di Holy Spirit and anoda voice wey she say "no be good voice".

Prosecutor Mark Heywood KC bin ask Dr Wynne "weda dis tip di balance of her health?"

Dr Wynne say "e throw am off balance. Her mind bin no settle. She bin dey worry, she stop to dey go church and bin get very little support."

A week before Taiwo die, Ms Abubakar bin hear "shouting voice" wey tell am to troway her food and TV. She say dis voice bin dey different to dat of di Holy Spirit wey she say bin dey "gently speak", na wetin court hear.

Dr Wynne say before di 2020 lockdown, di mental health services bin no know Ms Abubakar.

E say, "she bin dey go church and go out and e be like she dey ok."

Di court also hear say Ms Abubakar say she get strong faith pass di rest of her family.

She bin dey fear di dangers of Covid and bin almost no ever comot from her flat, di trial hear.

Mr Heywood say dem describe Taiwo as "fat, happy and healthy" pikin before im and im mama disappear from community eye.

A friend wey bin dey help dem to buy groceries say, by early June 2020, Taiwo bin look, "thin and unhappy".

Na im bin hala afta e no hear from Ms Abubakar flat on 29 June.

'Jesus bring (Ms Abubakar) back to life'

Last Week Friday, Jury hear from psychiatrist Dr Christian Tang wey test Ms Abubakar afta her arrest, and find say weeks before dem call police bin to di woman house, she bin dey suffer paranoia and delusions.

She bin believe say one neighbour bin attack am with hammer and "pull am into her grave".

Ms Abubakar bin believe say she bin "come back to life by Jesus".

Dr Tang say Ms Abubakar bin dey hear tins wey no dey and before her son die, bin get confusions, disorientation and hallucination.

Di court hear say Ms Abubakar mental illness mean say she for no fit make sensible judgements.

Defending lawyer Caroline Rees KC say di psychotic symptoms Ms Abubakar bin dey go through since February 2020 na im make am start di strict fasting.

She say Ms Abubakar believe di fasting go bring protection from God.

Di Jury watch body camera footage of wen officers enta di woman house for Cardiff.

For dia, Ms Abubakar bin tell officers say "e don die, e don die, e don die".

Dem tell di court say Ms Abubakar bin "consciously and deliberately neglect" Taiwo on top say she no gree give am food and water and by "forcing am to follow her fast".

Di court bin don hear before say Ms Abubakar na Pentecostal Christian wey believe say fasting dey important to her faith but children bin no dey expected to join.

Dem find notes for di flat wey Ms Abubakar allegedly write wey tok about wen she and Taiwo bin dey fast.

She go later tell police say she bin dey fast but she no hold food and water away from Taiwo.

She also deny say she increase di amount wey she bin dey fast because she no get di help she bin ask God for.

Ms Abubakar tell police say she no remember anytin for three days leading to wen di police burst enta her house.

Mr Heywood say, "She believe say she bin dey heaven because she bin dey see relatives wey don die and she bin dey hear angels dey sing. She say she bin no wan die and na so, di angels bring am back to life"