A medical Doctor, Olufemi Olaleye, charged with the defilement of his 16-year-old wife’s niece, on Friday denied the allegation and also accused his wife of framing him up to take over his house.
Dr Olaleye, who is facing a two-count charge of defilement and sexual penetration against a minor, denied the allegations while testifying in his own defence before the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Offence, Court in Ikeja.
The defendant, who is the founder of Optimal Care Centre was said to have committed the offences between February 2020 and November 2021 on Layi Ogunbambi Close, Maryland, Lagos.
The prosecution claimed that the offences violated sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
While being led in evidence by his lawyer, Babatunde Ogala (SAN), Olaleye told the trial judge, Justice Ramon Oshodi that the testimonies of the survivor and that of his wife were incorrect.
The defendant’s wife, Aderemi Olaleye, in her evidence-in-chief had stated, “My lord, on 27th November, 2021, my niece told my aunty that since March 2020 Femi has been sexually abusing her and introduced her to pornography, from there he graduated to oral sex with her, that he does this in different places in the home where there are no cameras.
But Dr. Olaleye countered this evidence, stating that the allegation surfaced after the couple had a serious misunderstanding.
The defence witness told the judge that the marriage between the couple was a rocky relationship because of his wife’s alleged deceptions and extra-marital affair.
The defendant, who referred to his wife, as Mrs. Anthonia Ijeoma Yetunde Fagbemi, further said, “during the course of the marriage, Anthonia, I mean (Remi) continued to have extra-marital affairs, she also took a loan to buy a car.”
The defendant 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.
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 on the documents of the house.
“I had just finished paying all encumbrances and she saw that her name was not included. I told 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 November 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.’’
Justice Oshodi has adjourned the matter to May 22 for the continuation of the trial.
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