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UK-based Nigerian nurse jailed for child negligence in tragic infant death
A Nigerian nurse, Ruth Auta, residing in the United Kingdom, has been sentenced to three years in prison for child negligence following the tragic death of her 10-week-old son, Joshua Akerele.
The 28-year-old single mother was found guilty of leaving her infant unattended for an extended period while she worked a shift at the Royal Bolton Hospital.
The heartbreaking incident took place on December 20, 2022, when Auta, living in nurse’s accommodation, reportedly left Joshua alone in his cot for eight hours.
Upon returning from her shift, she discovered her son unresponsive and immediately called emergency services.
Despite the paramedics’ efforts to revive the baby, Joshua was tragically pronounced dead one hour later.
Investigations revealed that Joshua may have died from overheating, as he had been wrapped in heavy clothing and bedding.
This likely caused his body temperature to rise to dangerous levels during the hours he was left unattended.
Auta faced charges of child cruelty and negligence and pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on May 24, 2024.
During the investigation, it emerged that Auta had initially attempted to mislead authorities about the circumstances surrounding her son’s death.
She had claimed to have collected Joshua from a childminder and had fallen asleep with him before discovering him unresponsive.
However, CCTV footage and text message evidence later contradicted her story.
Footage showed Auta leaving and returning to her accommodation without Joshua, and messages revealed that she had asked the childminder to lie, saying she had looked after Joshua on that day.
Further compounding the case was Auta’s attempt to flee the UK.
In June 2024, she was intercepted by authorities at Gatwick Airport with a one-way ticket to Nigeria, an act seen as an attempt to evade justice.
Her plan to leave the country just weeks after her court appearance only further deepened the gravity of her crime in the eyes of the court.
During the sentencing, District Crown Prosecutor Sara Davie remarked on Auta’s professional background, noting that as a nurse, she should have been acutely aware of the risks of leaving an infant unattended for such a long period.
Davie condemned Auta’s actions, stating, “Her failure to provide the necessary care for her child, along with her attempts to evade justice, clearly show a lack of remorse for her son’s tragic death.”
Ruth Auta will now serve a three-year prison sentence for her role in the devastating loss of her infant son, marking a deeply sorrowful conclusion to the case.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reportedly declared a strike at Taraba State University over outstanding salary-related demands and delays in payments.
The strike is scheduled to begin today, October 12, 2026. According to the union’s chairman, the union had been engaging the Taraba State Government over its outstanding demands since February 2026.
“The union had exercised considerable patience and demonstrated its commitment to dialogue since February 2026, when it began engaging the Taraba State Government over the outstanding issues,” Mbave said.
“The union had earlier suspended its planned industrial action following an appeal by the government for additional time through the Office of the Head of Civil Service, in the interest of maintaining industrial harmony,” the chairman added.
The Chairman of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, Torseer Yina, has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the ancient town.
The curfew takes effect from Thursday, October 8, 2026, following unrest and violent protests in the area.
According to reports, the action was taken to contain the unrest and violent protests by members of BEMOA following the death of one of its members by unknown gunmen.
The protest, which was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums, turned violent after an angry mob burnt two vehicles belonging to the Benue State Civil Protection Guards.
The Gboko council chairman said the curfew takes effect immediately and warned that anyone caught flouting the order or breaching public peace would be decisively dealt with.
Nine people have died in a fatal road crash along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway in Ogun State.
The crash occurred on Monday at about 4:55pm around the Bethel area along the Ijebu-Ode/Ore axis of the expressway. It involved a white Toyota Hiace commercial bus belonging to Delta Line and a white Sino truck operated by Bill Gas Solution Ltd.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), all nine people involved in the crash, comprising three males and six females, died in the incident.
The FRSC said the crash occurred while it was raining and the road was wet, with preliminary investigations identifying speed violation as the probable cause.
The FRSC rescue team arrived at the scene shortly after receiving the report, while the bodies of the victims were taken to the General Hospital Morgue in Ijebu-Ode.
The Ogun State Sector Commander, Oludare Ogunjobi, urged motorists, especially commercial drivers, to obey speed limits and exercise extra caution when driving in the rain.
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