Lagos Court Sentences Doctor to Life Imprisonment for Séχual Assault

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Lagos State Séχual Offences and Domestic Violence Court has sentenced the Medical Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Dr Olufemi Olaleye, to life imprisonment for defiling his wife’s niece when the minor was around 15 years old.

In his judgment, Justice Rahman Oshodi held that the prosecutor, the Lagos State Government, had proved the charge against the defendant and the evidence against him was compelling.

Dr Olaleye was arraigned on November 30, 2022, on a two-count charge of defilement and séχual assault by penetration of the minor between December 2019 and July 2022 when she came to live with their family.

The prosecution, led by Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Babajide Martins, had told the court that Dr Olaleye séχually assaulted his wife’s niece for about 19 months until the wife discovered and reported it to the police. The minor is said to be 18 years old now.

At his arraignment, the doctor pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.

The prosecution subsequently called six witnesses as proof of its case against him. The minor, the defendant’s wife, a medical doctor and another child care expert, both of whom examined the minor as well as two police officers involved in the investigations, testified in the trial.

The defendant also testified in his own defence alongside his friend of over 40 years as well as his forensic physician who faulted the medical evidence presented by the prosecution.

Having evaluated all the evidence before him, Justice Oshodi noted that it was compelling.

According to the judge, Dr Olaleye’s confessional statement before his former counsel, Mr Olalekan Buruji, and the Divisional Police Officer at the Anthony Police Station, Lagos State, proved that he committed the offences.

The judge held that Mr Olaleye said in the statement that he regretted his act.

The judge also held that the medical practitioner’s denial of the statement during the trial did not hold water.

Justice Oshodi described the medical director as a dangerous offender who did not show any sign of remorse during the trial.

“You acknowledged that you are a séχ addict in your confession but came to this court and told lies.

“You showed no remorse, and it shows that you are a dangerous man.

“The survivor, to your knowledge, is a child but you forced her to watch pόrnόgraphy, rub her breasts and put your pénis in her mouth.

“You penetrated her repeatedly,’’ Oshodi said.

The court found the defendant guilty of the offence.

In his plea for leniency, counsel to the convict, Mr Adebisi Oridate said: “He is a medical doctor who offers services to people suffering from cancer-related ailments, especially women.

“The state recognises his services and the defendant is a first-time offender. He has lost his business because he has been incarcerated, and, of course, his family.

“He has an aged mother who is dependent solely on him. We pray your lordship to temper justice with mercy.”

In sentencing, Justice Oshodi said, “By the laws of Lagos State, I am compelled to hand you a sentence of life imprisonment on each count of your offence, but your counsel has said that you are a first-time offender and a doctor of cancer patients.

“I hereby sentence you to life imprisonment on both counts one and two.”

The judge also directed that Dr Olaleye should have his name written in the Séχual Offences Register of the Lagos State Government.

During the trial, the convict’s wife, Mrs Aderemi Olaleye, had told the court in her testimony that her husband had been séχually abusing her niece during her stay in their house.

Mrs Olaleye said she got to know about the alleged crimes after the survivor confessed to her aunt and the family’s driver that the doctor had been sleeping with her and threatening to kill her if she told anyone.

The mother of two, who is the complainant said on oath, “My lord, on November 27, 2021, my second cousin told my aunty who is my mother’s sister that since March 2020, Femi has been séχually abusing her and introduced her to pόrnόgraphy, from there he graduated to oral séχ with her, that he does this in different places in the house where there are no cameras”.

The offences contravene the provision of Sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.