Nigerian woman faces manslaughter charge in Cardiff as her son dies after she forced him to fast

NIGERIAN woman Olabisi Abubakar is facing two counts of manslaughter and child cruelty in the Cardiff Crown Court after her three year old son Taiwo died from starvation as a result of her forcing him to fast.

Ms Abubakar, 42, from Cardiff, is accused of killing her three-year-old son through religious fasting. Apparently, she had locked herself away during the Covid19 pandemic and the police had to forcefully enter her flat in the Cathays area on June 29, 2020 after a friend raised concerns for her welfare.

Upon entry, Olabisi, who was thin, malnourished and dehydrated, was found lying on a sofa bed next to the body of her son, Taiwo. Cardiff Crown Court heard that Taiwo weighed 9.8kg with pathologist Dr Stephen Leadbetter finding his death was caused by malnutrition and dehydration.

In addition, the court heard that Olabisi was sectioned on June 30, 2020 and has remained detained in hospital, where she is being treated for paranoid schizophrenia. Prosecutor Peter Donnison, told the court that Olabisi was deemed fit for police interview in October 2020 and was interviewed by officers on eight occasions.

Mr Donnison said: “She said she was a religious woman and prayed to God and believed he had heard her and answered prayers and kept them safe. She had been taking her child out daily but she had to stop doing that due to the coronavirus. She described herself as locking herself away due to the coronavirus and her neighbour.”

Olabisi, who is an asylum seeker, had been having issues with a neighbour at the property she was living at in Cwmdare Street, Cardiff. However, the court was told that she is a devout Pentecostal Christian and fasts as part of her faith.

Prosecutors allege that Olabisi caused her young son to fast along with her due to fears over the coronavirus pandemic. However, in police interviews Olabisi repeatedly denied this and said children should not fast until the age of 12.

In a police interview, Olabisi said: “I saw myself among the dead in heaven. I was saying, I don’t want to die. Then I saw the angels of God and they brought me back to life.”

Police searched her property after Taiwo’s body was discovered on June 29 and found a note on food in a fridge, stating Do not touch anything, whooping cough, virus, save yourself. Doctors found Olabisi was suffering delusions and she was sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 on June 30 2020, with detention in hospital still ongoing for her to receive treatment.