The wife of the Managing Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Mrs Aderemi Fagbemi Olaleye on Monday took to the witness box to testify against her husband, Dr. Olufemi Olaleye who is standing trial for alleged defilement and sexual penetration of her niece, a-15-year old minor.
Mrs. Olaleye who was the first prosecution witness described herself as an economist and an entrepreneur in Real Estate and merchandise said she has been married to the defendant for 11 years.
In her testimony before Justice Ramon Oshodi of the Sexual Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, the mother of two told the court that her husband sexually abused the minor when she came to live with their family.
She said that the victim had confessed to a relative and their family driver that the doctor had been sleeping with her and threatening to kill her and the witness if she tells anyone.
Led in evidence, by the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Dr. Babajide Martins, the witness testified that the minor who is the daughter of her cousin came to live with the family in Nov 2019 after the demise of her guardian, Mrs Olaleye’s mother who she formerly lived with.
“She was 15 years old when she started living with us at our Maryland, Lagos home. She left our home in July 2022,” Mrs Olaleye said.
“On 27th November, 2021, the minor told my aunty who is my mother’s sister that since March 2020, Femi has been sexually abusing her and introduced her to pornography, and from there he graduated to having oral sex with her, and that he does this in different places in the home where there are no security cameras. She said he does it almost on a daily basis especially in the study around 2am when I am asleep.
“The girl said he (Femi) switches off the cameras in the home or turns their direction so that I will not notice anything.”
According to the girl, this went on from March 2020 until November 2021 when she was able to summon up the courage to tell an elderly family member. She also said from oral sex, it graduated to penetrative sex and that in my absence when I have gone to pick my children from school, he will put her on the table in the study and have carnal knowledge of her. She said he threatened her that the day she speaks about it, she will die and that he will eliminate myself and my children and this was the reason the girl was afraid to tell me.
She added, “There was a day the family driver, Waheed Yusuf came to work early in the morning and met the minor at the backyard of the house spitting out some substance. She eventually told the driver it was sperm because prior to his arrival, Femi had oral sex with her and released sperm into her mouth. She told the driver that she is tired as this man (Femi) wants to kill her because he does this everyday.”
“Apparently, the girl had confided in the driver because she thought he saw them while coming in as the incident happened in the sitting room, a few minutes before he came. After this information, the driver wanted to confront Femi but she held his leg and said if he does, Femi will kill her, her only aunty and everybody. Immediately I heard of it, I went to lay a formal complaint at the Anthony Police Station.”
The witness said following her report, the police investigated the defendant and the victim to unravel the truth.
“The DPO of the station later called me and asked for my home address and they came to our home and arrested Femi based on the statement I wrote at the police station. I was subsequently invited to the station where I met Femi and his lawyer.
The DPO who I later found out was also Femi’s patient, asked me to repeat what I wrote in my statement. She then faced Femi and asked what he had to say?.
Femi broke down in tears and confessed in the presence of the DPO and his lawyer that he was having canal knowledge of the minor. He admitted to fingering her and having oral sex with her.”
According to the witness, the DPO took written and video recording of his confession in the presence of his lawyer and subsequently asked me to leave, She said the police would remand him and also said that I should bring the minor to the station the following morning and the DPO also took both written and video statement from her.
The DPO said he was referring the case to the gender section of the Police force. I told the police that I would not be happy if he is granted administrative bail, because if Femi can defile my niece who calls him daddy, he could also sleep with my daughters.
“There was no time since November 2021 that Femi had denied the allegations, he has spoken to me about apologising to the whole family and the victim, stating it was the work of the Devil.
She however, noted that her husband checked himself into a rehabilitation home; Grace Cottage Clinics in Ilupeju.
She said, “The psychologist at the rehabilitation centre reached out to me that he had a diagnosis of sex addiction that I should go back to his history that if not, my own daughter can be a victim and that I should cooperate with them.
She also said that if her husband did not complete his treatment for sex addiction that he will relapse and that if he is allowed to roam the streets, it would be dangerous.
“I have never beaten the victim in respect of these allegations because I didn’t know about it until she confessed at my aunt’s home and also at a meeting with Femi’s mother, where she confessed to all of us.”
“My lord, most nights, Femi gives me a small tablet, he claims that it is Junior Aspirin and that I need it because I am turning 50 soon, it will help avert blood clot. May be a medical examination need to be conducted on it, My lord because I slept through all his atrocities. He also gives me Phenegan that it will help reduce my stress.
When asked why she was giving evidence indicting her husband she said, “I was raised to be a strong confident christian woman. Evil is evil, regardless of who is the perpetrator. I have daughters, I have nieces, Femi has female patients and if this is not curbed, the evil will continue and my conscience and late mother didn’t raise me that way.”
“There is no set up involved. How will I set up a 15 year old child to destroy my home, the home I built, I cannot set you up Femi. I do not have anything to gain but for the truth to prevail”, she added.
While answering questions under cross-examination, her husband’s counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Babatunde Ogala, asked the witness, if there was CCTV in the house, her response was, “There is no CCTV in my living room, only in the dinning.”
The counsel asked that the court allow him play a video recording and when the request was granted, the court watched a-39 seconds video showing the witness beating the victim.
Mr Ogala asked the witness to identify all the persons in the video which she did. He also asked why she was beating the girl, to which she replied that she had earlier admitted to disciplining the girl sometimes.
After the cross examination by the defence, the DPP moved to call a second witness, the family driver to testify against the defendant. The court granted the request but was subsequently shocked to find that the witness was sitting in the court room, contrary to an earlier announcement made requesting all witnesses in the case to vacate the courtroom before the testimony of the first prosecution witness.
Following this infraction, the testimony of the listed second prosecution witness was disallowed.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter for continuation of trial.
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