BPD News

Lagos Rescues Baby Whose Jehovah Witness Parents Denied Blood Transfusion

  • March 26, 2020
Lagos State Government, through the Bureau of The Public Defender (BPD), has rescued a severely jaundiced 14-day-old baby whose parents denied life-saving blood transfusion. The baby girl was delivered prematurely at a private hospital in Surulere on December 18, 2019 to Mr and Mrs Emmanuel Onokpise of Abata Close, Orile-Iganmu. A statement by the BPD, said the baby’s parents who are Jehovah Witnesses and on Medical Insurance (HMO), opposed the blood transfusion for their baby,

citing their religious belief. It said: “It was the critical health condition of the baby and deviant position of the parents that persuaded a spirited member of the public to inform the Lagos Bureau of The Public Defender to save the child from untimely death. “The agency swung into action immediately, got the relevant court order by invoking relevant sections of the Lagos Child`s Rights Law of 2015 and Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy of 2016. “In collaboration with the Nigeria Police, Adeniji-Adele and Orile stations, the baby was eventually evacuated from the parents’ home after stiff resistance from other mobilized members of the Jehovah Witness on 30th December, 2019.” The BPD said the baby was taken to Massey Street Children Hospital on Lagos Island. It said the baby, which weighed 2.2kg at birth, weighed less than 1.7kg at the time of rescue, allegedly “due to lack of medical attention after being kept at home for one week and five days by the recalcitrant parents.” BPD Director, Mrs. Olayinka Adeyemi, who after her visit to the child, said: “No responsible and responsive government would fold its arms and allow any parent or guardian to act ignorantly on religious grounds in a way that would be risky or injurious to the life of any other person, especially children or their wards under their care. “The administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in its avowed commitment to provide good governance and security, shall leave no stone unturned when protecting rights of women, children, the vulnerable and indigent residents of the Lagos State irrespective of gender and religion.”


Girl Nabbed For Killing Father’s Friend Remanded, BPD Pledges Free Legal Services

  • March 26, 2020
The Lagos State Bureau of The Public Defender (BPD) has assured the teenager (name withheld) accused of killing her father’s friend while attempting to rape her, of free and quality legal representation throughout the duration of the trial. The 15-year-old girl and resident of Aboru in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos was yesterday arraigned before the Ebute Metta Magistrate Court presided over by Mrs. Adedayo on a one-count charge of killing one Babatunde Ishola, aged 51 on March 7, 2020 at Nwadolu

Street, Aboru, by stabbing him to death with a knife, thereby committing an offence punishable under section 225 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015. The presiding magistrate remanded her at the Correctional Home For Girls, Idi-Araba and subsequently adjourned the case to April 27. Speaking on the plight of teenagers and other inmates of Correctional Centres in the state, the Director, Lagos State Bureau of The Public Defender(BPD), Mrs. Olayinka Adeyemi, said the office would not only provide the suspect with free legal services but also give her and other people being represented in courts on various cases, qualitative legal representation in terms of experience, knowledge and understanding of criminal laws of the land. According to her, this principle would be adhered to in all cases handled by OPD on behalf of its clients in courts until justice prevails. She assured members of the public that no stone would be left unturned in their cases while all legal instruments in the arsenal of BPD would be deployed to ensure that justice is not only done, but is seen to be done. Adeyemi further reiterated the commitment of the BPD to increasing the number of visits to the Correctional Centres in a bid to get more number of inmates that will benefit from its free legal services and secure bail for those that are detained for minor offences.