The Ogun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), has dismissed mounting public pressure over the rearrest and detention of a nurse, Kehinde Adesanya, insisting that his office will not be swayed by what he described as “media trial” or intimidation.
Speaking in a telephone interview with Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, on Saturday, Ogungbade said his office does not prosecute cases in the court of public opinion but strictly within the framework of the law, adding that legal advice on the matter would be issued in the coming days.
“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, however, accused the petitioners of inconsistency, noting that the same group had previously interfaced with his office in a separate criminal matter.
“Their position, however, smacks of double standards. A week or so ago, they wrote a similar open letter over what they saw as inaction regarding alleged gang rape of a student by four of her fellow students. My office intervened. Those boys are currently remanded. At that time, because it suited them, there was no complaint,” he added.
He maintained that his office remains resolute in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities.
“They should be patient. They should know by now that if there is one office in Ogun State that cannot be intimidated in the discharge of its duties, it is the office of the Attorney General,” Ogungbade stated.
The Attorney General, however, noted that their earlier correspondence was directed elsewhere.
“ Their open letter was to the Ministry of Women Affairs. When it got to my attention, I contacted the Police to find out the true position. At that time, the four suspects had even been remanded. We are now in receipt of the file and will soon render our legal advice,” he said.
Ogungbade added that the development reflects inconsistency in the petitioners’ stance on due process.
“But the episode shows that in one case they advocate that due process be followed, while in this case, they question the same due process they advocate in the other matter,” he added.
He further explained the legal framework guiding criminal prosecution, emphasizing that the powers of the police differ from those of the Attorney General’s office.
“The duty of the police is to investigate. The ultimate decision whether to prosecute or not, or indeed whether to terminate any charge filed by the police or allow it to proceed, lies with the office of the Attorney General. The woman was simply released on bail to her husband pending further investigation,” he said.
The Attorney General also extended an invitation to the petitioners for further clarification on the case.
“Finally, they are free to meet with me on Monday at 2pm so I can share details of our decision-making process with them, particularly with regards to this case. I would only expect that after that meeting, they would proceed to inform the public that they were wrong,” he stated.
The Attorney General’s reaction follows an open petition submitted by the Elegant Nurses Forum, on Friday, calling for urgent federal and state intervention in the case of Nurse Kehinde Adesanya.
Adesanya, 37, was on Thursday remanded for 60 days at the Ibara Correctional Centre, Abeokuta, after being arraigned before a Magistrate Court sitting in Isabo on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful abortion, and murder.
The charges stem from the death of a 23-year-old National Youth Service Corps member, Victoria Ariyo, who allegedly died following complications linked to a terminated pregnancy.
Police prosecutor, Solomon Babalola, told the court that the offences were committed between January and March 2026 at the Ikereku area of Laderin, Abeokuta, alleging that drugs supplied by the nurse led to the victim’s death.
According to the charge sheet, the offences contravene Sections 516, 230, 324, and 319 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, 2006.
Presiding Magistrate, O.O. Sam-Obaleye, granted the prosecution’s request to remand the defendant pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and adjourned the case to May 26, 2026.
PETITION AND CONTROVERSY
In its petition, the Elegant Nurses Forum raised concerns over what it described as a miscarriage of justice, claiming that earlier police investigations had reportedly cleared Adesanya of wrongdoing.
The group in a statement by its National Coordinator, Nurse Thomas Abiodun Olamide, argued that findings showed the nurse neither administered treatment to the deceased nor acted outside professional boundaries, noting that the victim had been diagnosed at the Federal Medical Centre Abeokuta with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy and anaemia before her death.
The forum expressed concern over her rearrest and continued detention despite the alleged findings, warning that the development could erode confidence in the justice system and expose healthcare professionals to wrongful prosecution.
Among its demands, the group called for an independent review of the case file, clarification on the legal basis for the rearrest, protection for healthcare workers, and the immediate release of the nurse if no credible evidence is established against her.
Meanwhile, in a related twist, police investigations also linked the deceased to a relationship with one Abass Olalekan, identified as an NYSC inspector in Abeokuta South Local Government.
Olalekan was earlier arraigned on charges of conspiracy and attempt to procure abortion. He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N500,000.
