A doctor in Lagos, Olufemi Olaleye, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the defilement of his wife’s niece by the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja on Tuesday.
Justice Rahman Oshodi handed down the sentence after finding Olaleye guilty of the offence of defilement and sexual penetration of a 15-year-old girl.
The judge stated that the prosecution had successfully proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, and that the evidence presented in court supported the victim’s testimony.
Olaleye had been charged with two counts of defilement and sexual assault by penetration of his wife’s niece.
The crimes were said to have taken place between February 2020 and November 2021 at a residence in Maryland, Lagos state. The doctor had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During the trial, the victim’s aunt, Aderemi Olaleye, testified that her husband had been sexually abusing her niece while she was living with them.
She revealed that the doctor had introduced pornography and oral sex to the girl, and even released sperm into her mouth. The abuse had allegedly been ongoing from March 2020 until July 2021.
The victim had confided in a relative and their driver about the abuse, expressing fear of retaliation and threats from the doctor. The relative then informed the girl’s aunt, leading to the revelation of the crimes.
The prosecution argued that Olaleye’s actions violated Sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
Justice Oshodi had initially granted the doctor bail in the sum of N50m ($124,000) with two sureties, both of whom were required to possess landed property in Lagos state and provide evidence of tax payments for the past three years.
The judge also mandated the surrender of Olaleye’s passports and original documents of his property to the court registrar.
