In a judgment that lasted for forty-five minutes, the Medical Director of Optical Cancer Care Foundation, Dr. Olufemi Olaleye has been sentenced to double life imprisonment by a Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja, Lagos for defiling his wife’s 16-year-old niece.
Justice Rahman Oshodi found the convict guilty as charged by the state government for defilement, held that the prosecution proved the two counts charge of defilement and sexual assault by penetration against the defendant beyond all reasonable doubts.
The judge held that the evidence presented before the court against the defendant was compelling and proven beyond reasonable doubts.
The state government had prosecuted Olaleye of sexually assaulted 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.
The State government thereafter filed two counts charge bordering on having unlawful sexual intercourse and did sexually assault by penetrating her mouth with his penis.
The offence contravened the provision of sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
According to the judgement, Justice Oshodi held that the confessional statement of the defendant which he made before his former counsel, Mr. Olalekan Buruji and the DPO of Anthony Police Station, when he stated that he regretted his action, proved that he committed the offences.
The judge held that the defendant denying an undertaken made at the police station did not hold waters, the court held that the document had his counsel, Buruji NBA seal on it.
“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, rub her breast, and put your penis in her mouth.
“You penetrated her and there was blood in which 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 the society, who should be locked away from the people.”
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 counsel, Mr. Adebisi Oridate pleaded 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.
He said the convict is a medical doctor who offers services to people that suffer from cancer-related ailments, especially women from Lagos State and Nigeria.
“The state recognised his services and the defendant has lost his business because he has been incarcerated from his family. He has lost his means of livelihood and he has an aged mother who is solely dependent on him but we pray your lordship to temper justice with mercy.”
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.
According to Martins, “We urge the court to give the convict a mandatory sentence and also have his name registered in the sexual offences register as maintained by Lagos State.”
He said the prosecution had proved that he sexually assaulted the survivor by penetrating her vagina, releasing sperm into her mouth with his penis for about 19 months until the wife discovered and reported to the police.
During the trial, the state had called six witnesses who testified against the defendant while the defence called three witnesses.
The judge therefore sentenced the convict and held that, “by the laws of Lagos State, I am compelled to hand you a sentence of life imprisonment on each count of your offense.
“But your defense counsel has said that you are a first time offender and that you are a doctor of cancer patients who is in partner with Lagos State.
“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 name should be registered in the Sexual Offences Register as maintained by Lagos State Government.”
