A Nigerian mother has shared her heartbreak after her two-year-old daughter tragically drowned in a garden bin while she was forced to leave her with a stranger to visit her son in hospital.

Balikis Adeoye, a mother of two, opened up about the devastating loss of her “beautiful and happy” daughter, Mazeedat, in an emotional statement at the inquest.

The incident occurred on January 29, 2022, when Balikis had to leave Mazeedat with people she didn’t know or trust well enough while she accompanied her three-month-old son for heart surgery.

Balikis explained that although she had concerns about leaving her daughter in the care of strangers, she felt she had no choice, as she needed to be with her son during his medical procedure. “I didn’t know or trust the people looking after her when this happened, but I had to leave her with them to be with my baby,” she told the inquest.

Mazeedat was found hours later in a bin containing nine centimeters of water at the property in Dagenham, following an alarm being raised.

During the inquest at East London Coroner’s Court, Balikis shared her anguish, stating: “She was the most beautiful and happy little girl who brought sunshine to my life. I’ll always keep her close to my heart.” She also expressed her hope that her story would help prevent similar tragedies for other families in similar situations.

The inquest revealed that Balikis had moved to the UK from Nigeria in March 2021, and by September, her baby son was diagnosed with a hole in his heart. She had been referred to social services four months before Mazeedat’s death due to her unstable living conditions, but was unable to access public funds because of her immigration status.

Balikis had requested a foster placement for Mazeedat so she could care for her son, but social workers did not arrange the support. Instead, they advised her to seek help from friends, leaving her with no option but to leave Mazeedat with untrusted carers.

On January 29, 2022, Mazeedat was reported missing and later found dead in the garden. A post-mortem revealed that she had drowned, and the coroner ruled her death as a result of “gross failure” in supervision and inadequate care, including failings by both the carers and the local authority.

Coroner Graeme Irvine concluded that had the missed opportunity for a foster placement been acted upon, Mazeedat’s death might have been prevented. He also stated that he would write a report to help prevent similar deaths in the future.

In response, Newham Council expressed their condolences and shared that they had reviewed their social work practices following the incident. The council’s approach has since been rated “Good” by Ofsted.