Lagos Urges Supreme Court to Reinstate Doctor’s Life Sentence for Child Defilement
The Lagos State Government has taken a bold legal step by appealing to the Supreme Court of Nigeria to reinstate the life imprisonment sentence of Dr. Olufemi Olaleye, who was convicted of defiling his wife’s 16-year-old niece but later acquitted by the Court of Appeal.
Dr. Olaleye, Medical Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, was originally convicted on October 24, 2023, by the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, where Justice Oshodi described him as a “dangerous offender” who showed no remorse.
The conviction was based on a confessional statement and corroborating evidence, including a signed undertaking bearing his counsel’s NBA seal.
However, on November 29, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Lagos overturned the conviction, citing inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case. In response, the Lagos State Government filed an appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that the appellate court erred in law and that the trial court’s verdict should be upheld.
The government’s brief, dated August 18, 2025, challenges the validity of raising the affected child’s age as an issue at the appellate stage, especially since it was uncontested during trial.
It insists that the prosecution proved the offences of defilement of a child under Section 137 and sexual assault by penetration under Section 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
Dr. Olaleye’s legal team, led by Chief Jubrin Okutepa (SAN), filed a preliminary objection on September 29, 2025, urging the Supreme Court to strike out the appeal for lack of competence. The apex court is now tasked with determining whether the acquittal will stand or be overturned.
This case highlights the critical rights of children to protection from sexual abuse and exploitation. Every child has the right, as enshrined in the law, to be protected from all forms of sexual abuse.
