TheCable

Aderemi, wife of Femi Olaleye, managing director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, has testified before the special offences and domestic violence court in Lagos state.

At the court sitting on Monday, Aderemi appeared as the first witness.

She told the court that she married Olaleye in March 2011 and that they have two children, who are aged 10 and seven, respectively.

BACKGROUND

On November 30, Olaleye was arraigned by the Lagos state government on a two-count charge of defilement of a child and sexual assault by penetration.

Olaleye was accused of sexually violating a minor, said to be his wife’s niece, for over 20 months.

However, the cancer care advocate pleaded not guilty to the charge against him and the court remanded him in Ikoyi prison pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.

‘MY HUSBAND INTRODUCED VICTIM TO PORNOGRAPHY’

Speaking during the hearing, Aderemi said the victim was 15 years old when she moved to their house on December 19, 2019, following the death of a relative.

She said the victim stopped residing in the house in July 2022, adding that she was not aware of the alleged sexual assault until the victim confessed to another relative on November 28, 2021.

“What happened the day before November 28, 2021 and why did the victim confess to your aunt?” Babatunde Martins, the prosecution lawyer, asked Aderemi.

Responding, she said a nanny reported that the victim had started exhibiting “strange behaviour”.

“When I called her (victim) upstairs to explain herself after the nanny’s complaint, she gave me a long hiss and I disciplined her,” she said.

“This incident happened when my husband was not around. He travelled to Abeokuta.”

She added that when her husband returned, the children told him about the incident.

“He (Olaleye) did not have any discussion with me. He went straight to her room and started pacifying her (victim),” Aderemi added.

“When I challenged him, Femi Olaleye yelled at me and said I should do my worst. The worst I could say was that he was sleeping with her and he said he is sleeping with her. I told him not to say that. Immediately, he said he was taking her out of the home.

“After he left the victim in my aunt’s house, my aunt, who is a retired school principal and psychologist, asked the victim what happened and she confessed.

“She told my aunt that since March 2020, Femi had been abusing her; that he introduced her to pornography. From there, he graduated to oral sex.

“He does this in places where there are no CCTV cameras, and around 2am almost everyday.”

Aderemi alleged that her husband threatened to kill the victim if she told anyone about the incident.

‘I SLEPT MY WAY THROUGH HIS ATROCITIES’

Speaking further, Aderemi said it was confusing how she did not know about the alleged sexual abuse until the victim confessed.

“I didn’t know about these allegations until everybody else in the family knew,” she said.

“My lord, Femi, most nights, gives me a small tablet. When I looked at this incident, I wept. How was this incident going on in my home and I did not know?

“Femi gives me medication every night and he claims that it is junior aspirin that will avert blood clots because I’m turning 50 years old soon.

“My lord, maybe a medical examination should be conducted on me. I want to believe that I slept my way through all his atrocities. Sometimes, he also gives me phenergan; he will say I work so hard that phenergan will help me relieve my nerves.

“Our sex life was great. He told me that he does not like oral sex. Anytime I want to get down there, he will tell me he is getting old, that he does not like such thing.”

‘MY HUSBAND CONFESSED, SIGNED UNDERTAKING‘

She told the court that when the incident was reported at the Anthony police station, her husband “broke down in tears and confessed that he had carnal sex” with the victim.

She added that he signed an undertaking to stay away from her and the children.

“I don’t want him around my children, and home. I told his lawyer that if he could sleep with my niece who calls him ‘daddy’, he could sleep with our daughter,” she said.

She told the court that after signing an undertaking, her husband apologised via WhatsApp messages and emails, saying “it was the work of the devil”.

‘DIAGNOSED WITH SEX ADDICTION‘

Speaking further, she told the court that in December 2021, the defendant enrolled at a rehabilitation centre in Lagos.

“The psychologist at the rehab reached out to me and said that he had a diagnosis of sex addiction, and if not properly taken care of, my own child can be a victim,” she said.

CASE ADJOURNED

Rahman Oshodi, the presiding judge, adjourned the case till December 21 to hear more witness testimonies.