…Perpetrator asked survivor to suck his manhood, ACVPN alleges
…We’re awaiting DPP’s advice- Police
…Perpetrator has a case to answer-DPP
…Perpetrator planning to flee Nigeria – CAIDOV
Juliana Francis
Early this year social media spaces were jammed with allegations of a medical doctor, Dr Femi Olaleye, who is the owner of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, located at the Surulere axis of Lagos State, sexually defiling his wife’s 15 years old niece.
In fact, it was the doctor’s wife, Mrs Aderemi Olaleye, who brought the allegation against her husband, stressing that Femi had been defiling her niece of 15 years for a period of one year and nine months in their matrimonial home.
The woman, speaking during a live discussion on the popular Television Continental (TVC) show “Your View,” alleged that there were plans to circumvent the course of justice by the Police. She also alleged that the Police had refused to prosecute her husband in court even after arresting him.
She explained that she found out about the defilement on the 30th of November last year- 2021, and made a formal complaint at the Anthony Village Police Division.
Femi was arrested and was also alleged to have confessed to the commission of the crime in writing, verbally, while being video-recorded by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Patricia Ikponmwosa-Amadin.
Aderemi recalled that on the 1st of December 2021, she made her statement at the station, while the survivor did the same.
On the 5th of December, everyone was shocked and speechless when the DPO of Anthony Police Station released Femi on bail.
Aderemi said she was shocked and had immediately contacted the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency ((DSVA), and a letter of referral was issued to the Gender Section of the State Police Command.
After that, Femi was allegedly examined and detained, while he was to be charged to court before, but was suddenly granted bail again.
Aderemi said that she wanted the matter to be charged to court, but did not understand why the police were pussyfooting over the matter. She then contacted her lawyer to do another petition to the State Police Command, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) as well as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
Following these efforts, the case file was sent for legal advice. Aderemi, a mother of two urged Nigerians to join in demanding justice for the 15 years old survivor.
A Lagos-based non-governmental organisation, the Centre Against Injustice and Domestic Violence (CAIDOV) wrote a letter to DSVA, which was received on the 12th of September. CAIDOV said it become perturbed over the unholy silence from the agency.
The Executive Director of CAIDOV, Mr Soloki Moses Olugbenga in a petition dated 25th of October 2022, addressed to the Officer in charge of the Legal Department, the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigative Department (SCIID), titled, “Threat to subvert the course of Justice by Dr Femi Olaleye on the case of defilement,” said the case was reported to his office by Aderemi in July, 2022.
The petition states: “At the centre, we investigated and wrote letters to the DSVA as well as the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP). Along the line, it was discovered that a letter dated 17th October 2022 was directed to you by the DPP. But to our consternation, since the letter was dispatched to you, we have not seen that efforts have been made by the police or your office to arrest the culprit and bring him to justice as advised by the DPP, even when he is not to be free, prior to the advice as he was to be in custody. But more worrisome is the information gathered on Monday 24th October 2022 that Femi has perfected plans to leave the shores of Nigeria to evade arrest and prosecution as advised by the DPP. As believers in the Nigeria Police and the legal system, we are of the opinion that such should be prevented from happening as it will be an indictment on the part of the police if eventually escapes. We are writing this letter to enable you to take proactive measures in ensuring the accused person- Femi does not escape justice. Your prompt and diligent response will be appreciated please.”
Soloki maintained that the arrest and prosecution of the accused person will serve as a deterrent to others.
He noted that contrary to the practice when accused persons in such cases were held behind bars so as not to interfere in the investigation, the NGO discovered the accused person, Femi was arrested and let off the hook.
CAIDOV posited that on Monday 24th of October, 2022; information was received to the effect that the much-awaited legal advice from the Office of the DPP has been gotten, which stipulates the prosecution of Femi for child defilement.
The NGO further explained that to its consternation, the accused person is still walking freely, and strangely being escorted by police guards, when he was supposed to be in Court answering questions for his actions.
CAIDOV also explained that it had dispatched a letter of complaint to the Officer in charge of Legal Services of the State Police Command at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), urging the office to expedite action on the case to get justice for the minor involved.
The NGO opined that failure to arrest and prosecute Femi will amount to the Police aiding child molestation and subverting the course of justice.
The co-founder of Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network (ACVPN), Mr Ebenezer Omejalile, said he, like other child advocates, had been closely following, monitoring and pursuing justice for the survivor.
He said: “This is a very unfortunate case. Dr Femi has influential female friends and some of them are victims, but they are still living in denial. This case has been on since March this year. According to our findings, he has been subjecting the survivor to all manners of debasing treatments, including asking her to suck his manhood. He finally penetrated her; that was the story I heard and at that time, his wife was in the USA. The problem started at Anthony Police Station, where he was arrested and released. He went to Area F Police Command to get police protection and was given two police escorts. It was also alleged against him that he was banished from the UK for this same act, which he was alleged to have been perpetrating against children and his patients. The Gender Unit at Ikeja claimed it was waiting for DPP advice. Now the DPP advice is out, which found him wanting. It is expected that police should swing into action, for him to be duly prosecuted. My opinion is that there’s a gang up in this case and a high level of conspiracy. It should not be so! The doctor should face the music. If it’s a poor man that committed this crime, his name and pictures would have been flying up and down.”
He further said that the alleged perpetrator was planning to leave the country. He noted that a case of this magnitude should have been flagged at all exit points in Nigeria. “It’s like we are folding our arms and watching a paedophile walk free. Justice and law should not be respecters of any person. Nigeria should not continue to be a laughing stock, people like R-Kelly are in jail for similar offences. Dr Femi is not bigger than those already in the prison.”
Securitynewsalert.com’s attempts to speak with Femi were abortive. He read the messages sent to his WhatsApp but refrained from responding.
When our reporter asked the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, why the alleged perpetrator had not been charged to court, he responded: “This case has been on for a long time and it has brought a lot of scandals. I have been dragged on social media that I was biased. Princess the comedian and Kate Henshaw both accused me of being biased. They all did protest in Lagos calling for the prosecution of Dr Femi. So, the case has been going on. The case started before I assumed office as the spokesperson, but that’s not an excuse. I have called for the case file and have studied the case and I have granted many interviews on it. What I can say for now is that the case file has been sent to DPP by our legal department. The outcome of the DPP is what we’ve been awaiting. I don’t know why it’s taking forever for us to get a response from DPP. Even when I told people that the case file was with the DPP, they accused me of lying. In fact, Princess claimed to have called someone at DPP, who told her that the case file was not there and that I was lying. But the truth is that the case file is with the DPP and that’s the latest on the case for now.”
The legal advice sighted by securitynewsalert.com, dated 17th of October 2022, signed by Dr Babajide Martins, DPP, states in part: “After a careful consideration of the facts available in the duplicate case file, this office is of the considered opinion that there are sufficient facts to establish a prima facie case of defilement of a child and sexual assault by penetration contrary to Sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Law, Ch c17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State 2015 against page B1-Olufemi Olaleye (M).”
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