Pregnant Banker Gives Birth In Prison In Osun, Sparks Outrage

There is outrage in Osun State following prolonged incarceration of a banker, Mrs. Awanat Ajayi, who is being held in the Ilesa Correctional Facility.

The Spokesperson Of Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, had recently disclosed the arrest of First Bank manager, Talabi Adeniyi over N650m fraud used for Proof of Fund (POF).

Ajayi who is one of the bankers under Talabi who used to get money for POF from interested members of the public was arrested after she allegedly collected money from a Magistrate.

However, the business deal went awry when Talabi allegedly lost N650m during the business deal.

Hence, Ajayi was arraigned before an Osun State Magistrate’s Court presided over by Olusegun Ayilara for collecting a sum of N10m from Magistrate Oyindamola Daramola.

She was subsequently remanded despite an oral bail application made by her lawyer who noted that the offence was a bailable one and that she has a few weeks to deliver, coupled with the fact that she has Hepatitis B.

In August, Olusegun Ayilara granted her stringent bail conditions noting that a monarch and level 14 officer should be her surety with a deposit of N5m before she can be released.

On Wednesday, during the sitting, counsel to the banker noted that Mrs Ajayi had delivered a baby through a Cesarean section surgery.

Magistrate Ayilara told the banker’s husband that giving birth is not a technical reason for discharge, noting that “Your wife’s bail condition has not been perfected, delivery not a technical reason for discharge. This is the law and even me doesn’t have power over it, it is only a higher court that can say otherwise.”