Footballer faces trial by jury for attempted murder of baby

Nigerian man had allegedly shaken his partner's baby so violently that he ended up suffering from permanent brain damage 

A Nigerian footballer faced a jury in court today, charged with the attempted murder of his girlfriend’s 15-month-old baby.

The jury heard how Rotimi Williams Akande, 27, had on 15 April shaken the baby so violently that he ended up suffering from permanent brain damage.

Indeed, the child – now 5 years old – is being kept at Dar tal-Providenza.

The court heard how Akande, back then an Mqabba FC player, had struck up a relationship with Abiola Olowoshile Abiola, also Nigerian, after she broke up with her boyfriend – with whom she had a baby. Abiola and her baby moved into Akande’s Mellieha apartment in February 2013. Given that Abiola used to work morning shifts while Akande used to work night shifts, Akande used to look after his girlfriend’s baby in the mornings.

On 15 April, the baby was left at home with Akande who – according to the police – had shaken him to stop him from crying. The police said that the shakes were so violent that the baby ended up suffering from internal bleeding.

Not having yet realized the extent of the damage, Akande placed the baby back in bed. At noon, he called his girlfriend to tell her that he had tried to wake up the baby but that he wasn’t budging.

Abiola called an ambulance to rush the baby to Mater Dei, where he was given life-saving neurosurgery. Although the baby survived the ordeal, he suffered permanent brain damage, and indeed his medical report states that he has no idea what’s going on around him.

The police said that Akande had violently shaken the baby before, noting that he had been sent to hospital only 12 days earlier with two broken ribs, bruises on his chest, blood in his retinas, and slight internal bleeding – all symptoms that match ‘shaken baby syndrome’.

The doctors informed the mother, who said that she had entrusted her son with a female babysitter who had shaken the baby when he started suffering from an epileptic fit. They also referred the case to the police and social workers because they had reason to suspect that the baby was being maltreated.

When the baby was sent back to hospital the second time, police investigations ruled that the “babysitter” was not a woman, and that Akande was a prime suspect.

The accused, who is pleading not guilty, has been charged with attempted murder, as well as with grievously injuring the baby and with maltreatment of a minor.

The case is being presided over by judge Antonio Mizzi, with lawyers Elaine Mercieca and Justine Cilia from the Attorney General’s office acting as the prosecution, and Joe Ellis acting as defence counsel.