Nurse Faces Abortion‑Related Charges in Corps Member’s Death as Ogun Court Awaits DPP’s Advice
The case of Kehinde Adesanya, a 37‑year‑old nurse accused in connection with the death of Ariyo Victoria Olapeju, a 23‑year‑old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, continues to unfold before the Magistrate’s Court in Isabo, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Court filings reveal that the Ogun State Police Command initially charged Ms. Adesanya with conspiracy, unlawful abortion, and murder, alleging that she unlawfully administered abortion drugs which led to the corps member’s death. She was first arraigned on 26 March 2026 and remanded at the Ibara Correctional Facility pending the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) advice.
The police sought her remand under Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice and Other Related Matters Law of Ogun State, 2017, citing the seriousness of the allegations. The Magistrate granted a 60‑day remand order, later extended when the DPP’s advice was delayed.
The DPP’s legal advice, now issued, recommends dropping the murder charge, leaving only abortion‑related counts. This narrows the prosecution to offences under Sections 616 and 230 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, relating to conspiracy and unlawful procurement of abortion.
Rights group Lawyers’ Alert, monitoring the matter, has raised concerns about alleged pressure on Ms. Adesanya to plead guilty, warning that coercion would undermine her constitutional rights under Sections 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution. The organisation also cited Nigeria’s obligations under the Maputo Protocol, CEDAW, and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, stressing that women facing reproductive‑health prosecutions must be protected from psychological abuse and coercive control.
The case highlights Nigeria’s restrictive abortion laws, which only permit termination to save the life of the mother, and raises broader debates about aligning domestic law with regional human rights instruments.
