The Medical Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Dr Olufemi Olaleye, on Friday told an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court that the allegation of sexual assault against him was fabricated by his wife, Remi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendant made the claim while being led in evidence by his counsel, Mr Babatunde Ogala (SAN).
He was charged with sexually assaulting his wife’s 16-year-old niece (name withheld).
The pathologist and entrepreneur said that he had been married to Oluremi for 12 years and the marriage produced two children, aged eight years and 12 years.
He testified that his marriage to Oluremi was laced with lies from her.
He added that Oluremi had extra marital affairs.
“I confronted her when she cheated on me with her ex-boyfriend. She also took a loan to buy a car without my consent.
“After two years in our marriage, we were separated for 12 months due to various lies she told me.
“Her educational background is false. She gave me a fake school certificate copy which I submitted to my lawyer,” he said.
According to him, his alleged victim/survivor, who was 18 years when she started living with his family, was brought against his consent.
The doctor said that the alleged survivor came to the house alongside his late mother-in-law when she was sick.
The defendant said that the mother-in-law left a note which was read to him and a few members of the family to the effect that the alleged survivor should be sent back to village.
He said: “My late mother in law, in the note she left behind, said we should return the girl back to the village.
“Most of us laughed at the note because we did not know what she meant.
“I was in court when the girl said that I defiled her but, my lord, this is not correct. It is full of lies and fabrications.
“Remi made an arrangement for her to start school but I raised an objection because we did not have any external member with us, but she insisted, owing to the fact that she girl had failed her WAEC examination and she wanted her to re-take it before going back to Sapele.’’
According to the medical director, the alleged survivor lived with his family from November 2019 to November 2021.
“She stayed in the same room (guest room) my late mother in-law used, but slept at night in the children’s room,” he said.
He told the court that he shared the same bedroom with his wife on the second floor of their two-storey building and had 16 Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras installed in the house.
“For security purpose, I installed four internal and four external CCTV cameras but shortly after the girl started living with us, my wife compelled me to install additional eight cameras.
“The CCTV cameras cover all angles, every room with exception of toilets. There are two CCTV cameras in my bedroom alone,” he said.
The defendant told the court that he left the house on Nov. 27, 2021, because he had a fight with his wife due to her insistence that her name should be in the documents of the house.
“I had just finished paying all encumbrances and she saw that her name was not included. I today her it is my property but it is for her and my children. This led to a fight.
“I got upset and told her I was no longer interested in the marriage. I came to the house on the Nov. 28, the following day, and my children drew my attention to the fact that there had been a serious beating of the girl by their mother and that I should go check the CCTV.
“This was where I saw a brutal assault lasting for over 10 minutes with iron and hammer on the girl.
“An attempt to find out what transpired led to insults, she threatened that she was going to repeat the same treatment to the girl if I continued to question her.
“So I drove out of the house with the young girl,” he said.
The defendant further told the court that he returned home in the evening and met his wife and her Aunt Tessy discussing in their native language which he did not understand.
“It was dawn on me after their discussion that they were formulating plans, bringing up issues of I possibly molesting the girl, an accusation I find very embarrassing and evil .
NAN reports that Remi , on Dec. 19, 2022, told the court that her husband was diagnosed with sex addiction.
The defendant’s alleged offences violate Sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Justice Ramon Oshodi adjourned the case until May 22 for continuation of trial. (NAN)
