28-Year-Old UK-Based Nigerian Nurse Jailed For Three Years In Prison After Leaving 10-Week-Old Baby To Die While At Work

By: Abdulwasiu Akintunde 

A 28-year-old Nigerian nurse, Ruth Auta, living in the United Kingdom as a single mother, has been sentenced to three years in prison for leaving her 10-week-old baby, Joshua Akerele, to die while she went to work. 

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News gathered that the incident had occurred on December 20, 2022, when Auta left Joshua alone in her nurse's accommodation for eight hours to complete her shift at Royal Bolton Hospital.

Upon returning, she found her baby unresponsive in his cot and called emergency services, reporting that Joshua was not breathing. 

Unfortunately, resuscitation efforts made to revive the baby proved fruitless as he was pronounced dead an hour after paramedics arrived.

OTN News further gathered that the single mother initially she told police she had collected him from a childminder after work, fed him, and put him to sleep. She claimed to have fallen asleep next to him, only to wake up and find him lifeless.

However, further investigation revealed CCTV footage of Auta leaving and returning to her accommodation without Joshua that day. 

Incriminating text messages also surfaced, showing Auta had asked her childminder to falsely claim she had been watching Joshua. 

The childminder, however, told authorities she had not seen the baby for several days.

Auta pleaded guilty to child cruelty charges in Manchester Magistrates' Court on May 24, 2024, with sentencing deferred for a month. 

By June 6, Auta attempted to flee the country, purchasing a one-way ticket to Nigeria. She was arrested at Gatwick Airport while trying to board the flight.

OTN News reports that Bolton Crown Court sentenced Auta to three years in prison for child neglect after tests revealed that Joshua may have overheated due to being excessively clothed and covered with heavy bedding.

The District Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, Sara Davie, stated, "While she went to work to care for others, Ruth Auta left her own child, who needed her most, alone at home. She showed no remorse throughout the case and even attempted to flee justice."

The case has left a lasting impact on all those involved, with deep sympathies expressed for Joshua and those affected by the tragic death of the young boy caused by the negligence of the single mother.