Woman bags 5 months in prison for beating 2- year-old to a state of coma

An Upper Area Court in Kado, Abuja, on Wednesday sentenced a 43-year-old woman, Janet Moses to five months in prison for beating a two-year-old boy to a state of coma. The judge, Mr Abubakar Sadiq, sentenced Moses after she pleaded guilty to a one count charge of cruelty to a child. Sadiq, however, gave the convict an option to pay a fine of N10, 000. He said the sentence was to serve as a deterrent to others who might want to engage in similar acts. The judge also warned the convict to desist from such acts and be of good behaviour. He said the child, who has since recovered, was now with the social welfare officials and would soon be reunited with his parents who are in Maiduguri. The convict was arraigned by the police on March 31 and was convicted after pleading guilty to the charge but her sentence was deferred. The prosecutor, Sgt. Simon Ibrahim, had told the court that Mrs Aisha Muhammed of the same address lodged a report against the convict at the Mabushi police station on March 22. Ibrahim said 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. He said the offence contravened the provision of section 238(b) of the Penal Code.