A Magistrate’s Court in Ondo State has ordered the remand of a 40-year-old woman, Nafisat Lateef, over allegations that she poisoned the three-year-old son of her tenant following a dispute with the child’s mother.
Lateef was arraigned on Thursday on charges related to the unlawful administration of a harmful substance.
According to the charge sheet, the incident occurred on February 4, 2026, around 6:30 p.m. at Aliami Street, Omifon, via Odigbo.
The suspect was accused of giving a liquid believed to be poisonous to the child, identified as Abdurasheed Musibau, causing him harm.
Prosecutors said the alleged act violates Section 320 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.
Nafisat Lateef also faces another count of unlawfully administering a chemical substance to the child, an offence punishable under Section 22(1) of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law of Ondo State.
Court documents indicate that shortly after the child consumed the substance, he began vomiting and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he received medical treatment.
Police said the suspect was arrested following a swift investigation by detectives.
While speaking in court, Lateef said the boy’s mother was her tenant and that they had previously maintained a peaceful relationship.
She added that the woman often visited her shop and that she sometimes helped pick up the children from school.
Nafisat Lateef told the court that on the day of the incident, she returned home intending to eat but suddenly felt compelled to act.
According to her statement, she took a bottle of poison from her room and used its cover to place some of the substance in the child’s mouth. She said she immediately realised what she had done afterwards.
Lateef further told the court that she went to report the incident at Ore Police Station before being directed to another police station in the area. She pleaded for leniency, describing the act as the “devil’s handiwork.”
The prosecutor, ASP Martins Olowofeso, requested that the court remand the defendant to allow investigators forward the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
Defence counsel, Godwin Bernard, did not oppose the request.
Magistrate Temitope Alphonso subsequently ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Surulere Correctional Facility in the state.
The court also directed that the case file be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for review.
The matter was adjourned until June 9, 2026, for mention and further legal direction.
