The Court of Appeal in Lagos has discharged and acquitted Dr. Femi Olaleye, the medical director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, earlier convicted of rape.
Olaleye was sentenced to life imprisonment in October 2023 by Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court for allegedly raping his wife’s teenage niece. The court said it found the prosecution’s case against him compelling.
However, in November 2023, Olaleye’s lawyer Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) challenged the conviction, arguing that the prosecution failed to provide direct evidence of the victim’s age. Pinheiro noted that no documentation was presented to confirm the claim that the alleged victim was 16 years old at the time of the offence.
The defence also highlighted inconsistencies in the victim’s testimony, pointing out that she did not initially accuse Olaleye of rape in her police statement.
The prosecution countered these claims, asserting that it had proven the offences of defilement and sexual assault by penetration beyond a reasonable doubt, supporting the original conviction.
Justice Olukayode Bada, Justice Mohammad Sirajo and Justice Folasade Ojo reviewed the appeal and ruled in Olaleye’s favour.