The senior investigating judge at the Dakar High Court, Abdoul Aziz Diallo, has concluded the case concerning the "SOS Keur Yeumande" orphanage. On August 21, 2025, the magistrate issued a partial dismissal order, reclassified the charges, ordered the arrest, indictment, and referral of Ndella Madior Diouf and several co-defendants to the Criminal Chamber. On November 11, the case was presented at an identity hearing, pending the setting of a trial date. The defendants Ndella Madior Diouf and Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye, who have been in detention since December 2023, were brought from prison. The rest of the group remains under judicial supervision. The details of the order have been revealed.

According to the document obtained by Seneweb, the committal order paints a grim picture of the nursery's operations and the criminal charges brought against it. The judicial investigation that has been opened targets Ndella Madior Diouf and 13 other people, including nannies, domestic staff, security guards, assistants, and other individuals involved with the facility.

A litany of crimes are targeted by the public prosecutor's office: "human trafficking, illegal practice of medicine, deprivation of food or care resulting in death, endangering the lives of others, failure to assist a person in danger, improper obtaining of burial certificates, involuntary manslaughter, violations of burial regulations, failure to register a birth, and complicity."

Back to the facts

According to the court order, on November 20, 2023, Ndella Diouf filed a complaint with the Dakar Urban Security Division against Ndella Madior Diouf, director of the "SOS Keur Yeurmande" orphanage. During her hearing, Ms. Diouf stated that Madior refused to return the child she had entrusted to her care, a child who was in a pitiful state. She explained to investigators that she had become pregnant unintentionally and had expressed to Ndella Madior her wish to give the child to her at birth. According to her, Madior accepted her offer and housed her in Simal until she gave birth on August 14, 2022, in Fatick. She added that Ndella Madior subsequently brought her son, named Simal Ousmane Ndella Madior Diouf, to Dakar.

But when she came to collect it some time later, the accused refused.

Following the publication of videos on social media depicting the mistreatment of children at the orphanage, the public prosecutor tasked investigators with the case. As part of their investigation, they reviewed two videos uploaded via YouTube. The first video, lasting three minutes and four seconds, showed a child in unsanitary and inadequate conditions, clearly unwell, crying, struggling to breathe, and exhibiting acute signs of malnutrition. The woman who filmed the video implied that she worked at the orphanage and was taking preventative measures to avoid being blamed by her employer should any problems arise.

The second video, lasting eleven (11) minutes and fifty-five (55) seconds, was an interview with Anta Sarr, who said she was a former nanny at the nursery, and who described the difficult working conditions of the staff, the poor nutrition of the newborns with the consumption of milk unsuitable for their age and the lack of medical and pediatric follow-up at the nursery.

Acute dehydration, diarrhea, severe malnutrition, death…

As part of the ongoing investigation, investigators received a report from the social services department of the Albert Royer National Children's Hospital concerning babies in the nursery. According to the report, between October 20 and November 7, 2023, the hospital had taken in infants from the nursery suffering from acute dehydration and severe malnutrition, and two of these infants had died after arriving at the hospital.

The various inquiries had revealed that there was improper preparation of baby bottles at the nursery and the use of milk not suitable for infants, and these dietary errors were, according to the report, the cause of the illnesses developed in the babies.

The investigators, accompanied by the Prefect of the Department of Dakar, the President of the Departmental Committee for Child Protection, the Directorate of Early Childhood and a medical team, were transporting the premises of the nursery where they found that they were unsanitary and unsuitable for the proper monitoring of the infants found there who were subsequently transported to the Albert Royer and Pikine hospital centers.

The investigators also proceeded to question the staff of the nursery, namely Awa Mbaye, Fanta Cissokho, Fatou Séne, Sadio Keita, Anta Sarr, Yacine Sow, Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye, Djiby Soaw, Koumakh Diaham, and El Hadji Sène. However, during the investigation, the police officers received a document from the Grand-Yoff municipal emergency medical service (SAMU) entitled "Death Certificate" for the baby Zouleika Ndella Madior Fall, who had been brought to the facility by Ndella Madior Fall, and from the Albert Royer Children's Hospital. They also discovered the death certificates, dated October 27 and November 4, 2023, for the babies Mouhamed Konté and Maréma Ndella Madior Diouf, who had been hospitalized on October 27 and November 3, 2023, respectively.

They also received a report from the Friendship Clinic concerning the hospitalization from November 12 to 13, 2023, of the baby Bijou Ngoné Ndella Madior Diouf for dehydration and malnutrition, followed by her death on November 14, 2023. Furthermore, at the Dalal Jamm Hospital Center, they received information indicating the hospitalization on December 13, 2023, followed by the death on December 15, 2023, of the baby Youssou Ndour, who also came from the nursery. On December 28, 2023 (the year is corrected for date consistency), a medical report relating to babies from the nursery and hospitalized in the pediatric department of the Albert Royer hospital center in Fann was drawn up by Professor Ousmane Ndiaye, head of the Pediatric Department, and from which it appeared that 12 children taken care of were suffering from malnutrition, undernutrition and diarrhea related to an error in nutritional regime.

On January 4, 2024, the Pikine hospital center issued a report on five babies from the orphanage who were hospitalized for bronchiolitis, acute diarrhea, dehydration, kidney failure, and hyponatremia. As part of the ongoing investigation, investigators interviewed Marie Elisabeth Coly, Ndeye Mously Gueye, and Maguette Ndiaye, all of whom had used Ndella Madior Diouf's services during their pregnancies. They revealed Diouf's modus operandi: she would house pregnant women who worked at the orphanage until they gave birth, then leave their babies there.

Ndella Madior clears himself…

When questioned, Ndella Madior Diouf stated that she had established the facility called "SOS SANTE KEUR YEURMANDE" to raise awareness among the population about health issues and to combat violence against women, infanticide, and paternity denial. She claimed to possess no documents regarding the opening of her orphanage, as the application was, according to her, still being processed by the Ministry of Family Affairs. She went on to explain that pregnant women voluntarily came to the orphanage to stay there for the duration of their pregnancies and to abandon their babies there after giving birth.

Regarding the babies' living conditions, she stated that they were very well cared for, despite the videos circulating online, and also maintained that, contrary to the plaintiff Ndella Diouf's claims, the latter had abandoned her infant. She specified that the child could only be returned after reimbursement of the costs of her stay, delivery, and care, which Ndella Diouf refused to pay.

Ndella Madior Diouf also confirmed the deaths of the babies named Mohamed Samba Ndiobene Ka, Akon, Maréma, Zouleika Ndella Madior Diouf, Youssou Ndour, and Bijou Ngoné. However, according to her, the deaths of the first two resulted from negligence on the part of the nannies, while the deaths of the others were linked to a delay in medical care or inappropriate treatment.

When questioned about the death certificate of the child Akon, found during the searches and issued by her organization called "SOS SANTÉ," she claimed to be a doctor, stating that she had completed her medical studies up to the sixth year. Ndella Madior also maintained that she had obtained proper burial certificates based on the death certificates. She further revealed that her orphanage began receiving infants on August 14, 2022, and that the first babies received were Prince, Simal Ousmane, Macky Sall, Ousmane Sonko, Idrissa Seck, Mame Diarra Fam, Cheikh Alassane Sène, Zouleika Ndellá Madior Diouf, Sokhna Dieng Mbacké, Ndella Madior Diouf, Abdoulaye Wade, Néfertiti Ndella Madior Diouf, Karim Wade, Marième Faye Sall, and Waly Seck. She also maintained that she was not involved in baby trafficking, but was content with the help of sponsors to take care of the babies who were to stay in the nursery until they reached the age of majority.

The body of a baby kept in a basin filled with ice…

Anta Sarr, the mother of the baby named Aksn, stated during her interrogation that she had been taken in by Ndella M. Diouf while pregnant, first in Simal and then at the Sacré-Cœur orphanage. She maintained that despite her condition, she worked at the orphanage as a nanny before being dismissed by Ndella Madior Diouf and leaving the premises. According to her account, after giving birth at the hospital, she contacted Ndella Madior Diouf and went to her home with her baby. She explained that the baby subsequently died at the orphanage, and, having doubts about the body being taken to the morgue at Idrissa Pouye Hospital, she went to the baby's room and discovered the corpse in a basin filled with ice, with a fan running next to it.

Continuing, she maintained that the body had been deposited there by El Hadj Séne and that the next day, the security guard Koumakh Diaham revealed to her that the latter, assisted by Djiby Sow and Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye, had gone to the Yoff cemetery to bury his child.

A couple had paid 8 million to adopt a baby

Anta Sarr further stated that during 2023, she brought several sick babies to the hospital at the request of Ndella Madior Diouf, and that a doctor forbade her from giving the children oral solutions. She also revealed that a transaction had taken place at the orphanage and that Ndella Madior had given a child to a couple for the sum of 8,000,000 FCFA.

During their interrogation, the nannies, Fanta Cissokho, Yacine Sow, Awa Mbaye, Sadio Keita, and Fatou Séne, stated that they had contacted Ndella Madior after seeing a job posting on Facebook. They specified that they had no professional qualifications for the job of nanny. They claimed that the babies were fed milk three times a day, while those aged one to two were fed cereal or puree.

During their interrogation, Koumakh Diaham and Djiby Sow explained that they had been recruited on November 29, 2023, and December 11, 2023, respectively, as a security guard and a cleaning worker. Diaham stated that some women would drop off their children at the nursery. However, to retrieve them, they had to pay delivery fees. Djiby Sow stated that he assisted some of the caregivers who were feeding the babies due to staff shortages.

Clandestine burials, issuance of death certificates by Ndella Madior

When questioned, El Hadji Sene stated that he had buried babies in section 39 of the Yoff cemetery with the assistance of Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye, after receiving a burial certificate from the civil registrar of the Grand-Yoff town hall upon presentation of a death certificate issued by Ndella Madior Diouf. She indicated that the accused put him in contact with a certain Fallou who facilitated his access, and he refuted Anta Sarr's statements that he had hidden the body of her baby in a basin filled with ice. He specified that the child died around 1:00 a.m. and that he took the body to the hospital morgue the following day.

When questioned, Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye stated that he had been recruited by Ndella Madior Diouf as an assistant. In this role, he was responsible for recruiting staff for the nursery, supervising the nannies' activities, and ensuring hygiene standards were maintained. He claimed to have witnessed a home birth and the deaths of babies Akon and Youssou Ndour. He also indicated that Ndella Madior Diouf adopted abandoned babies, but was unsure whether she had complied with the applicable laws. Furthermore, Cheikh Tidiane revealed that the police were not informed of baby Akon's death and that a man named Mouhamadou Samb drew up the death certificate, which was subsequently signed by Ndella Madior Diouf.

Regarding the register found in his possession during his arrest, he maintained that he used it to record the names of women in distress, those of women who came from the Simal nursery with their babies, those of the assistants and staff members of Radio Ndella Madior Diouf.

Ndella Madior speaks of a cabal by the authorities to steal her project.

Charged and then questioned thoroughly, Ndella Madior Diouf contested the allegations, claiming to be the victim of a conspiracy by malicious and jealous individuals who wanted to steal her project to create orphanages in each municipality. She stated that she had submitted the project to the authorities, who had expressed their willingness to support it. However, this did not sit well with certain individuals, who infiltrated her organization and succeeded in disseminating videos intended to discredit her facility. Nevertheless, she acknowledged that several deaths had occurred at the orphanage, the causes of which she attributed to delays in care or inadequate monitoring of patients by the caregivers.

She claimed her intention was to help women experiencing unwanted pregnancies in order to prevent infanticide and the abandonment of babies in isolated places such as garbage dumps. She also stated that she herself issued death certificates, on the basis of which she obtained burial permits, despite not being a doctor. This is because she had not been able to defend a medical thesis and was not registered with the Medical Council.

She acknowledged that, following her instructions, babies were buried in compartment 39 of the Yoff cemeteries by El Hadji Séne, Djiby Sow and Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye with the help of a certain Fallou without further details.

Charged and questioned in turn, Awa Mbaye, Yacine Sow, Fanta Cissokho, Fatou Séne, Anta Sarr, Koumakh Diaham, Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye El Hadji Séne, and Djiby Sow also contested the allegations. The latter two, partially recanting their statements made during the police investigation, maintained that they had never buried babies, although they hinted at having heard of some infant deaths.

In their denials, Awa Mbaye, Fanta Cissokho, and Fatou Séne maintain that they only worked for Ndella Madior Diouf for four (4) days, and during that time, no incidents were reported at the nursery. According to them, the babies were properly cared for.

In the same vein, Yacine Sow stated that she had only spent one week at the nursery and that during her stay, she had not noticed any shortcomings in the care of the residents.

Anta Sarr claimed to have stayed at the nursery for a month at the request of Ndella Madior Diouf. She added that she had entrusted her child, whom she nicknamed Akon, to Ndella Madior Diouf, and that the child died in the circumstances described in the preliminary investigation.

Sheikh Tidiane Ndiaye, for his part, said that he helped Ndella Madior Diouf recruit nannies. He also stated that he was involved at the nursery, supervising the nannies and ensuring the babies were well cared for. Furthermore, he declared that Ndella M. Diouf had informed him of the deaths that occurred at the nursery. He assisted her with the administrative formalities before proceeding with the burials at the Muslim cemeteries in Yoff.

Koumakh Diaham, in turn, confirmed the deaths of the babies. He maintained that he had only carried out the burials because he had worked at the facility for 22 days as a caretaker, for a monthly salary of 75,000 CFA francs, which he never received. He added that, having noticed that the caregivers were understaffed, he sometimes went up to the nursery to help them feed the babies.

Regarding Sadio Keita, who violated the obligations of his judicial supervision and was not questioned on the merits, an arrest warrant was issued against him and a report of fruitless searches was subsequently drawn up.

Repackaged rice, transformed into porridge…

Called as witnesses, former nannies Seynabou Ndiaye and Marie Elisabeth Coly denounced the poor food conditions and noted that milk and diapers were frequently lacking at the nursery. They also stated that they sometimes reused rice or "GOFIO" (a type of millet) to feed the babies. According to them, this poor diet was the cause of the illnesses that led to the babies' deaths.

Also heard as witnesses, Seynabou Ndiaye, Nafissatou Sarr Samb, Astou Thiao, and Ndèye Mously Gueye stated that they had frequented the orphanage where they worked as nannies. The first two named denounced the poor conditions in which the children were cared for. In this regard, Seynabou Ndiaye noted that rice was sometimes repackaged and prepared as porridge and given to the children. Their testimonies also revealed that the babies often lacked food and diapers. This was because Ndella Madior Diouf was diverting donations made to the orphanage, whether from well-wishers or from the babies' namesakes or sponsors, for other purposes.

"She was demanding 5 million to get my baby back."

Testifying as a civil party, Ndella Diouf stated that, being pregnant, she had gone to Ndella Madior Diouf's home to ask for help. The defendant had promised her support. She added that Ndella Madior Diouf came to collect her child after the birth. She further stated that she had temporarily entrusted the child to Ndella and that at the end of each month she gave her 30,000 francs for the child's care. She asserted that, wanting to get her child back, she confided in the defendant, who demanded payment of 5 million francs, representing the costs associated with her delivery and the child's upkeep. She also revealed that she had volunteered at the orphanage following a plea for help that Ndella Madior had made on social media because the nannies, due to their limited number, were no longer able to properly care for the babies. She further stated that on this occasion, she had observed that the conditions of care for the residents had deteriorated.