Justice Rahman Oshodi of a Lagos Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, Ikeja, yesterday, sentenced the embattled Medical Director of Optical Cancer Care Foundation, Dr Olufemi Olaleye, to life imprisonment for defiling wife’s 16-year-old niece.
The trial judge, who found him guilty as charged by Lagos State government, held that the prosecution proved the two-count charge of defilement and sexual assault by penetration against the defendant.
The judge said the evidence presented before the court against the defendant was compelling and proved beyond reasonable doubts. The state government had charged Olaleye of sexually assaulting the survivor by penetrating her mouth with his penis for about 19 months until the wife discovered and reported to the Lagos State Police Command for investigation.
Olaleye was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on having unlawful sexual intercourse and sexual assault by penetrating her mouth with his penis.
His offences contravened the provision of sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015. Justice Oshodi, in his judgment, held that the defendant in the confessional statement made before his former counsel, Mr. Olalekan Buruji, and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Anthony Police Station, regretted his action, which proved that he committed the offences.
The judge also held that the defendant’s denial of an undertaking made at the police station did not hold water as it had Buruji’s Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seal.
“The defendant is a dangerous offender who should be ashamed of himself as he did not show any sign of remorse. The convict began to groom the survivor during the COVID-19 lockdown. The survivor, to your knowledge, was a child, but you forced her to watch pornography, rubbed her breast, and put your penis in her mouth.
“You penetrated her and you did it repeatedly. You acknowledged that you are a sex 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 to society who should be locked away from the people.
“I hereby sentence you to life imprisonment on both counts one and two of defilement and sexual assault by penetration, which should run concurrently. The convict’s name should be registered in the Sexual Offences Register as maintained by Lagos State Government,” the court held .
Justice Oshodi thereafter found him guilty as charged, sentenced him to life imprisonment each on the two counts, which he said would run concurrently.
Earlier, in his plea of mercy, the convict’s counsel, Mr. Adebisi Oridate, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that the convict was a first-time offender who offered public service and had cancer patients to care for.
In his response, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Dr. Babajide Martins prayed the court to sentence him on a mandatory sentencing as maintained by the law of Lagos State. During the trial, the state called six witnesses who testified against the defendant, while the defence called three witnesses.
