Lagos doctor bags life imprisonment for raping wife’s niece

The special offences and domestic violence court in Lagos has convicted a medical doctor, Femi Olaleye to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of a rape charge.

Femi Olaleye, the managing director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, was charged to court for the rape of his wife’s niece and was first arraigned In November 2022, by the Lagos state government on a two-count charge of defilement of a child and sexual assault by penetration – charges to which he pleaded not guilty.

However, on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, Justice Rahman Oshodi of the special offences and domestic violence court in Lagos ruled that the medical doctor should serve life imprisonment for count one and the same for count two having being found guilty of the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

The judge said the sentencing should run concurrently as the cancer care advocate was accused of sexually violating the minor for over 20 months.

During the trial, Aderemi, the estranged wife of Olaleye, had told the court that his husband introduced the underage victim to pornography and oral sex.

In his ruling, the judge said he believes the testimony of the survivor that Olaleye raped her and forcefully inserted his penis into her mouth.

Oshodi dismissed the claim of the defendant that the survivor was tutored and tortured to say she was raped, adding that the survivor was “consistent” in her testimony.

But the judge also rejected the arguments of the defense team that the survivor was 18 years old when the incident happened and that the survivor had sexual intercourse with two adults in their residence.

“The sexual abuse came with a threat. The defendant had groomed the prosecutory (referring to the survivor) with pornography,” the judge said.

“The prosecutory did not consent and did not willingly suck his penis.

“I’m satisfied with prosecutory’s evidence that the defendant had sex with her and inserted his penis in her mouth and ejaculated.

“I believe the prosecutory that he forced her to suck his penis. I believe that the first time he had sex with her, blood gushed out of her vagina. Her evidence greatly implicate the defendant.”

On the argument of financial motivation, the judge said the issues raised by the defendant that his wife was motivated by financial gains was to “deflate” the evidence of sexual abuse.

The defense counsel had claimed that the survivor was tutored by the defendant’s wife to lie against the defendant as part of the scheme to take over his properties.

“The defendant said his wife was motivated by financial gains, including taking the family home in Maryland, Lagos, Mercedes Benz, money in their joint account and custody of their two children,” the judge said.

“Let me immediately say that these issues will not deflate the evidence of the prosecution on the issues before the court.

“The issue is this — did the defendant have sexual intercourse with the prosecutory and force her to suck his penis? The answer is yes.”

Oshodi held that the court cannot believe the testimony of the defendant, adding that the defendant lied to the court.

The judge ruled that the prosecution was able to prove counts one and two beyond reasonable doubt.

“I, therefore, feel satisfied that the prosecutor has established that (a) the prosecutory was a child by section 261 of the Child Rights Law of Lagos state 2015, the defendant had sexual intercourse with her by putting his penis in her vagina, the defendant also forced his penis into her mouth and ejaculated,” the judge ruled.

“I must conclude that the prosecution has established count one and two against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt. I, therefore, find the defendant guilty as charged.”

The judge said Olaleye must be confined to prison for a long period of time to serve as a deterrent to intending perpetrators of sexual violence.

The judge added that the name of the defendant should be added to the Lagos state sex offenders register.

“Femi Olaleye, I have convicted you of defilement and sexual assault by penetration. This charge has a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment,” he ruled.

“Accordingly, I sentence you to life imprisonment on count one and two. On each count, the sentencing will run concurrently.”

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