An Akure High Court has mandated that the Ondo State government and its Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development pay N25 million in damages to a mother whose baby went missing while under state care. Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay ruled that state authorities were responsible for the loss of Omoniyi Oluwaseun, the three-month-old son of Opeyemi Adegboyega, who was admitted to a juvenile facility in 2017.
The infant had been placed in government custody while Ms. Adegboyega sought psychiatric treatment. Upon her discharge, officials claimed the child had died, yet records at the State Specialist Hospital showed no such arrival. Represented by lawyer Oju Kekemeke, the mother sued the state for failing to provide evidence of the child’s status. Justice Osadebay dismissed the government’s defense, noting a complete lack of medical documentation or death records to verify their claims.
The court concluded that the state’s negligence led to the child’s disappearance, resulting in significant psychological suffering for the mother. The ruling includes N10 million in aggravated damages, N15 million for general emotional distress, and N200,000 to cover legal costs.
