The Lagos State Government has appealed to the Supreme Court to reinstate the conviction of Dr. Olufemi Olaleye, whose life sentence for defiling his wife’s 16-year-old niece was overturned by the Court of Appeal.
Olaleye, the Medical Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, was convicted in October 2023 by the Lagos Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court. However, the Court of Appeal nullified the verdict in November 2024, citing inconsistencies in the prosecution’s evidence.
In its appeal, Lagos State argues that the appellate decision undermined trial court findings in sensitive sexual offence cases and relied too heavily on technicalities. The state’s notice of appeal, filed on four grounds, questions whether the Court of Appeal was right to dismiss the conviction despite what it calls “clear and uncontested” evidence of the victim’s age and testimony.
The government specifically wants the Supreme Court to decide if an issue not raised during trial — such as the victim’s age — can be introduced at the appellate stage.
Meanwhile, Olaleye’s counsel, Chief J. Okutepa (SAN), has filed a preliminary objection urging the Supreme Court to strike out the case for “want of competence.”
Lagos State maintains that the case goes beyond one conviction, calling it a crucial test of Nigeria’s commitment to protecting survivors of sexual violence from being denied justice through legal technicalities
