The Ogun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, has pushed back against mounting public pressure over the rearrest and detention of nurse Kehinde Adesanya, maintaining that his office will not be influenced by what he described as a “media trial.”
Speaking during a telephone interview on Eagle FM, Ilese-Ijebu, on Saturday, Ogungbade stressed that the Ministry of Justice operates strictly within the confines of the law and not public sentiment, adding that legal advice on the matter would be issued soon.
“I don’t think I want to join issues with them in the media. We don’t prosecute or do our work in the court of public opinion; we do so before a court of law. They should simply await our legal advice which should be out early next week,” he said.
The Attorney General also accused petitioners of inconsistency, noting that the same group had earlier engaged his office on a separate criminal matter.
“Their position smacks of double standards. A week or so ago, they wrote a similar open letter over alleged gang rape of a student. My office intervened and those suspects are currently remanded. At that time, because it suited them, there was no complaint,” he added.
Ogungbade reiterated that his office remains firm in carrying out its constitutional responsibilities without intimidation.
“They should be patient. They should know by now that if there is one office in Ogun State that cannot be intimidated, it is the office of the Attorney General,” he stated.
He clarified that the earlier petition referenced by critics was not initially directed to his office but to the Ministry of Women Affairs, adding that intervention only began after he sought clarification from the police.
“When it got to my attention, I contacted the police to find out the true position. At that time, the suspects had already been remanded. We are now in receipt of the file and will soon render our legal advice,” he explained.
According to him, the situation reflects contradictions in the petitioners’ stance on due process.
“In one case they advocate due process, and in this case, they question the same process they previously supported,” he noted.
Ogungbade further outlined the legal distinction between the roles of the police and the Attorney General’s office.
The ultimate decision whether to prosecute or terminate any charge lies with the office of the Attorney General. The woman was released on bail to her husband pending further investigation,” he said.
He also invited the petitioners for a meeting to clarify issues surrounding the case, expressing confidence that they would better understand the process afterward.
The controversy stems from the death of a 23-year-old National Youth Service Corps member, Victoria Ariyo, allegedly linked to complications from a terminated pregnancy.
Nurse Kehinde Adesanya, 37, was remanded for 60 days at the Ibara Correctional Centre in Abeokuta after being arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Isabo on charges including conspiracy, unlawful abortion, and murder.
Police prosecutor Solomon Babalola told the court that the offences occurred between January and March 2026 in the Ikereku area of Laderin, Abeokuta, alleging that drugs supplied by the nurse contributed to the victim’s death.
Presiding Magistrate O.O. Sam-Obaleye ordered her remand pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), with the case adjourned to May 26, 2026.
The case has drawn sharp reactions from the Elegant Nurses Forum, which submitted a petition calling for urgent intervention and alleging a miscarriage of justice.
Coordinator, Thomas Abiodun Olamide, the group claimed earlier police findings had cleared Adesanya of wrongdoing.
According to the forum, the deceased had been diagnosed at the Federal Medical Centre Abeokuta with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy and anaemia prior to her death, arguing that the nurse neither administered treatment nor acted outside professional boundaries.
The group warned that the nurse’s rearrest and continued detention could undermine confidence in the justice system and expose healthcare professionals to wrongful prosecution.
Among its demands were an independent review of the case, clarification on the legal basis for the rearrest, and the immediate release of the nurse if no credible evidence is established.
In a related twist, police investigations also linked the deceased to a relationship with Abass Olalekan, identified as an NYSC inspector in Abeokuta South Local Government.
Olalekan has since been arraigned on charges of conspiracy and attempt to procure abortion. He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of ₦500,000.
As the case continues to generate public debate, the Ogun State Ministry of Justice maintains that all actions will be guided strictly by legal procedures, even as stakeholders await the forthcoming legal advice that could determine the next phase of the prosecution.
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