The medical director, Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Olufemi Olaleye, has been remanded in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre for allegedly defiling his 15-year –old niece in the state.
An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court remanded Olaleye on Wednesday after he took his plea on two-count bordering on defilement of a child and sexual assault by penetration preferred against him by the Lagos State government.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, told the court that the 57-year-old defendant allegedly committed the offence sometime between February 2020 and November 2021, adding that the offence took place at No 17, Layi Ogunbambi close, Maryland, Lagos State.
The offences committed contravened Sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
Olaleye, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.
After the defendant pleaded not guilty, Justice Ramon Oshodi granted him bail in the sum of N50m with two sureties in like sum, who must have landed property in the state.
The judge ordered that both sureties must also provide evidence of tax payment to the state government in the last three years.
Justice Oshodi further ordered that the defendant must deposit his international passport including his British passport and
original documents of landed property to the registrar of the court.
Earlier, Olaleye’s counsel, Babatunde Ogala, SAN, had sought for bail for his client on the premise that the defendant-applicant was willing to go on in his trial.
Ogala said, “He is ready to provide reliable and credible sureties. He has not denied the fact that he has been under investigation in a matter that started in 2021; the defendant has not failed to appear before the police, he on his own walked into this court.”
Both counsels argued before the court, citing authorities to back up the argument for bail.
Upon pronouncing the bail conditions, a junior counsel asked that the judge allow Olaleye to perfect the bail within seven days.
Countering the oral submission, Dr Martins said, “I have not heard of an extant rule permitting that.”
The judge, however, ruled that the defendant be remanded in Ikoyi Correctional Centre, and adjourned the case till December 19 and 21, 2022, for the commencement of trial.
