A 43-year-old man, Abbas Olalekan, was arraigned before the Abeokuta Chief Magistrates’ Court on Monday for alleged conspiracy and attempted procurement of an abortion.

Mr Olalekan is charged with conspiracy and the unlawful attempt to procure an abortion by supplying drugs.

The prosecution counsel, Lawrence Olu-Balogun, told the court that the defendant committed the offence between January and March in the Ikereku area of Laderin, Abeokuta.

He alleged that the defendant conspired with others now at large to commit a felony, to wit, abortion.

The prosecutor further alleged that the defendant attempted to procure an abortion by supplying drugs to the now-deceased woman.

According to him, the defendant, an employee of the National Youth Service Corps, had an affair with the deceased, who was a corps member serving in Abeokuta.

He alleged that Mr Olalekan impregnated her and attempted to terminate the pregnancy by procuring abortion drugs for her.

The prosecutor said the administered drugs allegedly caused her death. He said the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 516 and 230 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, 2006.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Counsel to the defendant, Bunmi Adelabu, applied for bail in the most liberal terms, citing Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

Mr Adelabu told the court that the charge did not indicate that the defendant was responsible for the death of the deceased.

The magistrate, A.K. Araba, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Ms Araba ruled that one of the sureties must be a relative, while the other must be gainfully employed.

She added that the sureties must provide a utility bill, depose to an affidavit of means, submit six passport photographs and provide evidence of 2026 tax payment to the Ogun government.

The magistrate also ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Ibara Correctional Centre pending perfection of the bail conditions.

The case was adjourned until April 14 for further hearing.

(NAN)