Nigerian nurse Ruth Auta, based in the UK, has been sentenced to three years in prison for child negligence following the death of her 10-week-old son, Joshua Akerele. The tragic incident occurred on December 20, 2022, when Auta left her infant unattended for eight hours while working at Royal Bolton Hospital. Upon her return, Joshua was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead due to suspected overheating from excessive clothing and heavy bedding.
Auta’s claim that she had picked up Joshua from a childminder was contradicted by CCTV footage and text messages showing she had not collected her son. Additionally, she attempted to flee the UK in June 2024 but was caught at Gatwick Airport with a one-way ticket to Nigeria. The court highlighted her lack of remorse and failure to provide adequate care, leading to her three-year prison sentence.
Hmmm, why must it be Nigerians in the news everytime for crime