Outrage Erupts as Pregnant Banker Gives Birth in Prison

Public outrage has erupted in Osun State following the prolonged incarceration of Mrs. Awanat Ajayi, a pregnant banker held at the Ilesa Correctional Facility.

The Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, had earlier announced the arrest of First Bank manager, Talabi Adeniyi, over an alleged N650 million fraud related to the misuse of funds for Proof of Fund (POF) transactions. Ajayi, one of the bankers working under Adeniyi, was arrested after reportedly receiving money from Magistrate Oyindamola Daramola as part of a failed business deal.

The controversy stemmed from Talabi’s alleged loss of N650 million in the business transaction. Ajayi was subsequently charged at an Osun State Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara, for collecting N10 million from Daramola. Despite her lawyer’s plea for bail—citing her pregnancy and a diagnosis of Hepatitis B—the court remanded her in custody.

In August, Magistrate Ayilara granted her bail under stringent conditions, requiring a monarch or a level-14 officer to act as surety, along with a N5 million deposit for her release.

During a court session on Wednesday, Ajayi’s legal counsel informed the court that she had given birth via Cesarean section while still in custody. However, Magistrate Ayilara emphasized that childbirth did not qualify as a legal reason for discharge, stating, “Your wife’s bail condition has not been perfected, and delivery is not a technical reason for release. This is the law, and even I do not have the power to override it; only a higher court can decide otherwise.”

The situation has continued to fuel public outrage, with many questioning the treatment of pregnant women in the judicial system, particularly under such severe circumstances.