#EndSARS: Ondo Govt Moves To Release 18-year-old Detainee Who Gave Birth In Prison

• Her lawyer had said she was randomly picked up on the streets of Akure last year for allegedly having connections with persons who torched the All Progressive Congress (APC) secretariat in Akure during the nationwide #EndSARS demonstrations

The Ondo State government, on Sunday, said that it is committed to the release of Kemisola Ogunniyi, the teenager who gave birth to a baby boy in prison on Wednesday.

Ogunniyi was arrested by soldiers after the violence that erupted in the wake of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests.

She was said to be about two months pregnant when she was arrested along with three others on October 22, 2020.

The state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Charles Titiloye, in a statement, noted that the detainee did not disclose her pregnancy status at the time of her arrest last October but said his office is facilitating her release.

Read also: #EndSARS: Prison Service Reacts To Reports On Woman Who Gave Birth While In Detention

The statement reads: “This office is aware that the offences with which Kemisola Ogunniyi was charged are offences for which bail may be granted by the court and she is entitled to a counsel of her choice who has the duty to file an application for bail before the court.

“It is worthy of note that, at the previous sittings of the court, counsel to two of the four defendants had filed applications for bail.

“However, no information was placed before the Court then about the pregnant status of Kemisola Ogunniyi and no application for bail was brought before the Court by her counsel.

“It was on June 17, 2020 that the office of Attorney General was served a bail application by a new counsel (Tope Temokun Esq) engaged by Kemisola Ogunniyi.

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“Consequent upon the application for bail dated the June 17, 2021, the Attorney General of Ondo State and Commissioner for Justice, met Tope Temokun Esq on June 18 , 2021 and arranged that Kemisola Ogunniyi be released on bail without any opposition from the prosecution so that she can take care of her baby from home,” part of the statement read.

He also said that “criminal trial is pending before a Court of competent jurisdiction and hopefully with the intervention of Ondo State Government through the office of Attorney-General and Chief Judge of Ondo State, she will be released on bail shortly.”