An Igbosere High Court, Lagos State, has ordered that a former worker of a Lagos-based nursery school, Rukayat Amisu, accused of negligently killing a three-year-old girl, be remanded in prison custody.The police charged Amisu, whose residential address was not given, with manslaughter before Justice Adedayo Akintoye yesterday. Justice Akintoye adjourned the case until March 11 for hearing in the bail application.
The Lagos State Prosecution Counsel, Babatunde Sunmonu, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence on October 21, 2015, at 10:00a.m. at Olab Private School, 11, Idowu Taylor Street, Lagos Island.He said the defendant negligently allowed the girl to sit on a container containing hot water. According to him, the offence contravened the provisions of Section 227 of the Criminal Law Lagos State, 2011.She pleaded not guilty to the charge. The defendant’s counsel, A.O. Ladipo, told the court that he has filed a bail application.
Meanwhile an Ikeja Special Offences Court yesterday acquitted a teacher, Ebele Mbanugo, charged with stealing $110,267 from a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) belonging to Onari Duke, wife of a former governor of Cross-River State.
The police charged Mbanugo, who was a Vice Principal at the American International School Lagos (AISL), with defrauding the Child Survival and Development Organisation of Nigeria, Mrs. Duke’s NGO, of the funds between 2009 and 2011.
Delivering judgment, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo held that the prosecution failed to prove that Mbanugo stole the money. The prosecution had accused the defendant of misappropriating the money raised for the purpose of purchasing mammogram machines for the detection of breast cancer.
She held that the criminal suit stemmed from a “serious and disruptive rivalry” between the defendant and Mrs. Duke on the ownership of the fundraising initiative.”Upon hearing the verdict, a visibly relieved Mbanugo burst into tears, while profusely thanking the judge. The prosecution, led by K.O. Sarumi, had arraigned Mbanugo on October 8, 2014, on a three-count charge of stealing and fraudulent conversion.
“The prosecution failed to prove that the money misappropriated belongs to Duke. Duke was not called to testify in this case. The testimony of the defendant showed how three mammogram machines were bought from General Electric for 133,000 dollars, which is a sum higher than the sum allegedly misappropriated by the defendant,” the judge stated.
