On Thursday, a chief magistrates’ court in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, ordered the remand of a 30-year-old woman, Mercy Michael, in a correctional facility for allegedly killing her daughter using rat poison.

Michael was charged by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, NSCDC, with culpable homicide, contrary to Section 189 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law.

The NSCDC prosecutor, Mr Marcus Audu, told the court that on December 11, one Godfrey Sunday of Fadia Bakut, Zonkwa, reported the case at the Corp’s office.

Audu said that on December 10, the defendant inexplicably fed her eight-month-old daughter with rat poison.

He explained that the baby was rushed to the General Hospital, Zonkwa. But she died the following day.

According to him, the matter was first reported to the Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Kafanchan. But it was referred to NSCDC for investigation.

The presiding judge, Mr Samson Kwasu, did not take the plea of the accused, for lack of jurisdiction.

Kwasu directed the prosecutor to forward the case file to the State Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.

He, thereafter, adjourned the case until December 17 for further mention.