Mystery Deepens as Court Slams Ondo Government With N25m Fine Over Missing Child in State Orphanage

Mystery Deepens as Court Slams Ondo Government With N25m Fine Over Missing Child in State Orphanage

June 23, 2026

A High Court in Akure, Ondo State, has ordered the Ondo State Government to pay N25 million in damages to a mother whose three-month-old baby mysteriously disappeared from a state-owned juvenile home while under government care.

In a judgment that has sparked widespread public concern over child welfare and accountability in state institutions, Justice Oluyemi Osadebay condemned the actions and explanations provided by government officials, describing their evidence as “unbelievable, unconscionable, unsubstantiated, untrue and untenable.”

The claimant, Mrs Opeyemi Adegboyega, had taken legal action against the Ondo State Government and the Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development following the disappearance of her infant son, Omoniyi Oluwaseun.

According to court documents, Adegboyega was undergoing treatment for depression and schizophrenia at the Ondo State Neuropsychiatric Hospital when authorities temporarily took custody of her baby to enable her to receive proper medical care as an outpatient.

However, what was meant to be a temporary arrangement turned into a heartbreaking nightmare.

After completing one month of treatment and receiving medical discharge, Adegboyega visited the Ondo State Juvenile Home in Akure to reunite with her child. To her shock, officials informed her that her baby had died and that the remains had already been deposited at a hospital mortuary.

Suspicious and devastated by the explanation, she proceeded to the State Specialist Hospital to verify the claim. There, hospital officials reportedly told her that no infant's body had been deposited at the mortuary by representatives of the Ministry of Women Affairs.

The conflicting accounts raised serious questions about the child's whereabouts and prompted the grieving mother to seek justice through the courts.

Represented by her lawyer, Oju Kekemeke, Adegboyega filed a lawsuit against the Ondo State Government and the Ministry of Women Affairs, accusing them of negligence and demanding accountability for the disappearance of her child.

Delivering judgment, Justice Osadebay ruled that the disappearance of the child occurred due to the negligent actions of the defendants while the baby was under their custody and supervision.

The court further acknowledged the severe emotional and psychological suffering endured by the mother.

“This court hereby declares that the claimant has suffered excruciating pain, anguish, personal loss and psychological trauma as a result of the disappearance of Omoniyi Oluwaseun from the Ondo State Juvenile Home under the supervision of the Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs,” the judgment stated.

As part of the ruling, the court awarded N10 million as exemplary and aggravated damages, N15 million as general damages for the emotional pain, anguish, persistent shock and psychological trauma suffered by the claimant, and an additional N200,000 to cover the cost of the legal action.

The judgment has renewed concerns over the safety and accountability of children placed under government protection, with many observers calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child's disappearance.

Human rights advocates have also urged authorities to strengthen monitoring mechanisms within state-owned orphanages, juvenile homes and child welfare institutions to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Despite the court's decision, one painful question remains unanswered: What truly happened to baby Omoniyi Oluwaseun?

As the case continues to draw public attention, many Nigerians are demanding transparency, justice and a full explanation from the Ondo State Government regarding the whereabouts of the missing child.

For Mrs Adegboyega, the compensation may provide some measure of legal victory, but it cannot erase the trauma of losing a child whose fate remains unknown.