Woman admits beating up 2-year-old boy to coma

A 43-year-old woman, Janet Moses, of Mabushi Village, Abuja, yesterday told a Kado Upper Area Court that devil made her to beat up a two-year-old boy put in her custody to a state of coma.

“It was the devil that made me do it, I didn’t know what came over me when I was beating him.

“I didn’t know it will get to this point, have mercy on me I will not repeat it again,” she pleaded with the court.

The presiding judge, Mr. Abubakar Sadiq, convicted her after she pleaded guilty to the one-countcharge slammed against her.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the magistrate ordered that she be remanded in prison custody until April 28, pending sentencing.

“I hereby withhold the sentencing of the convict pending when we receive a medical report of the baby from the hospital as he is still in a critical condition,’’ he said.

Earlier, the police prosecutor, Sgt. Simon Ibrahim, had told the court that a woman, of the same address, lodged a report against the accused at the Mabushi Police Station on March 22.

Ibrahim said the crime was committed on the same date, adding that the convict beat up the two-year-old boy, who was left in her custody.

He said the complainant returned home and saw the convict beating up the child, who already had serious injuries all over him.

The prosecutor said, during police investigation, the convict confessed to have committed the crime and said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 238(b) of the Penal Code.

The convict is liable to an imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or a fine or both.