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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.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Embattled former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, returned to court in London on Monday, denying wrongdoing as prosecutors presented evidence for an alleged bribery.
It was recently reported that Mrs Alison-Madueke, once president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), received cash and luxury benefits in exchange for influence over oil and gas contracts when she was a minister in the cabinet of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
She has denied the claims repeatedly.
In the latest development in her trial, jurors in the British court today heard testimony from a luxury furnishings retailer and a former housekeeper, as prosecutors sought to show how high-end purchases and property use were allegedly routed through intermediaries.
The 65-year-old is accused of multiple bribery counts stemming from a years-long investigation.
The alleged offences occurred between 2011 and 2015, when she was Nigeria’s oil minister but maintained a UK address.
The UK National Crime Agency (NCA), which targets international and serious and organised crime, accused her of receiving the bribes in Britain.
Mrs Alison-Madueke is accused of accepting “financial or other advantages” from individuals linked to the Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups.
Both companies secured contracts with the then Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) or its subsidiaries, according to the prosecution.
The former minister is also said to have received £100,000 ($137,000) in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, a private jet flight to Nigeria and refurbishment work and staff costs at several London properties.
Other counts allege she received school fees for her son, products from high-end shops such as London’s Harrods department store and Louis Vuitton, and further private jet flights.
Mrs Alison-Madueke has been involved in numerous legal cases globally, including in the United States.
She has been on bail in Britain since she was arrested in October 2015.
In 2023, she was formally charged with accepting bribes, which she has denied.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An initiative designed to encourage entrepreneurship, expand access to opportunities in the digital economy, and improve the employability of young people in its host communities has been launched by Egbin Power Plc.
The tech-based empowerment programme will equip young persons from Egbin, Ijede and Ipakan areas of Lagos State with digital skills.
The chief executive of the power-generating firm, Mr Mokhtar Bounour, described the initiative as part of the company’s Personal Corporate Social Responsibility (PCSR) efforts, reflecting its commitment to inclusive and sustainable development, adding that its responsibilities extend beyond electricity generation to empowering people in surrounding communities.
“In today’s digital age, technology is no longer optional but a critical driver of economic inclusion and growth,” Mr Bounour said, noting that deliberate interventions were needed to bridge digital gaps and prevent uneven development.
He explained that when communities are excluded from the digital economy, development becomes uneven and unsustainable, reinforcing the need for deliberate interventions that bridge digital gaps.
He pointed out that, “The Empowerment Programme is designed to address this gap by providing young people in Egbin, Ijede and Ipakan with access to practical and in-demand digital skills that can improve employability, foster entrepreneurship, and create new economic opportunities within their communities.”
The first cohort brings together beneficiaries from the three communities for structured training in ICT fundamentals, graphic design, full-stack web development, digital marketing, cybersecurity and data analytics. The programme combines classroom instruction with hands-on learning.
Participants were selected through a screening process that assessed curiosity, determination and willingness to learn, the company said. Beyond technical training, the programme also includes workplace skills such as ethics, problem-solving, collaboration, professionalism and digital responsibility.
Mr Bounour urged beneficiaries to act as ambassadors of the initiative and demonstrate the values of integrity, discipline and service, saying their progress would serve as evidence that strategic corporate responsibility can deliver measurable impact.
He encouraged participants to recognise their broader responsibility to their communities, urging them to learn with character, pay their knowledge forward, mentor others, and use their skills to solve real local problems. He noted that the true legacy of the programme will be the ripple effects it creates through shared success and communal growth.
The launch of the Tech Empowerment Programme underscores Egbin Power’s continued commitment to sustainable community development, trust-building, and long-term value creation.
The company reaffirmed its dedication to investing strategically in people, strengthening host communities, and contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s digital and economic future.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the organisation is in collaboration with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to deploy the Port Community System (PCS) will eliminate manual bottlenecks and synchronise operations across Nigeria’s seaports.
Mr Dantsoho disclosed this at a recent three-day high-level stakeholder engagement in Lagos titled Achieving a 7-day Cargo Dwell Time, organised by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in collaboration with the NPA.
The engagement convened the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee (PCEC) under the Business Environment Enhancement Programme Accelerator (BEEPA) framework, focusing on streamlining port processes to improve efficiency and ease of doing business.
According to the NPA boss, the PCS will serve as the digital backbone of the National Single Window, enabling seamless information exchange among port stakeholders and reducing delays caused by manual documentation.
On her part, the director-general of PEBEC, Mrs Zahrah Mustapha, said the session was designed to go beyond identifying challenges and focus on implementing long-overdue practical solutions.
“Nigeria loses significantly every day due to operational inefficiencies,” Mrs Mustapha said. “These are not just numbers; they represent missed opportunities, jobs not created, and delayed economic growth. This reform is about resilience and unlocking the nation’s economic potential.”
She added that the initiative brings together government regulators and private-sector stakeholders to promote transparency and accountability, with the ultimate objective of reducing cargo dwell time and improving vessel turnaround time.
Recall that the NPA recorded a 100 per cent success rate in PEBEC reforms, ranking fifth among government agencies in 2025 with an 84.2 per cent compliance rating.
Outcomes from the stakeholder engagement are expected to be implemented in the coming months. By addressing operational gaps identified during port inspections, the NPA and PEBEC aim to build a more competitive maritime environment that attracts investment and facilitates seamless trade.
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