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Virginity no more in vogue, Dr Olaleye told wife’s 16-year-old niece – Witness

Published

2 years ago

January 4, 2023

Olaleye, a Managing Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, was accused of defiling his wife’s 16-year-old niece.

A child specialist and forensic interviewer, Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, has told the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court sitting in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, that Doctor Femi Olaleye, told his sexual defilement victim that her virginity does not make sense as virginity is no longer in vogue.

Ajayi-Kayode said this when she appeared before the court on Tuesday to narrate her forensic interview session with the victim

Olaleye, a Managing Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, was accused of defiling his wife’s 16-year-old niece.

He was arraigned before the court on two counts of defilement and sexual assault by penetration of the teenage girl for over 20 months.

But although the accused medical practitioner pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him, the court in December 2022 ordered that he should be remanded at Ikoyi Correctional Centre.

Olaleye’s wife, Aderemi, in December 2022 also told the court how her husband allegedly introduced her niece to pornographic content and oral sex.

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During Tuesday’s hearing of the matter, TheCable reports that Ajayi-Kayode who is the Assistant Director of The Cece Yara Foundation, said the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Babajide Martins, engaged her organisation to carry out a forensic interview on the teenage girl.

She said she conducted the forensic interview on October 5, 2022, at her organisation’s office in the Gbagada area of Lagos, and the report was submitted to the DPP on October 15, 2022.

According to her, the forensic interview was monitored by representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the DPP, the ministry of justice, and the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency.

Ajayi-Kayode told the court that the 16-year-old victim informed her that before Olaleye started the alleged sexual abuse, he asked her if she was a virgin.

Ajayi-Kayode said, “She (referring to the survivor) was groomed into serial sexual activities by her aunt’s husband (Olaleye). The child informed me that her aunt’s husband asked her about her virginity.

“And he told the child that virginity is no longer in vogue and that as a medical doctor, he usually covers up for girls who have lost their virginity or gotten pregnant.”

When asked if she had been sexually active before Olaleye, the child specialist said the victim’s response was no.

“She also said the day the aunt’s husband had penetrative sex with her, there was blood and he used tissue paper to wipe it off,” Ajayi-Kayode said.

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Ajayi-Kayode further told the court that the defendant reportedly threatened to “abandon” his family members and travel out of the country if the survivor reported the rape incident to her aunt.

The forensic interviewer said, “The aunt’s husband comes at night to check if the window is closed, after which he will wake her up and ask her to come and prepare coffee for him downstairs.

“During one of the occasions, he started by touching her inappropriately, lifting her nightgown, putting his fingers into her private parts. And on other occasions, he would make her perform oral sex.

“She also informed me that he perpetrated the abused in the part of the sitting room where the CCTV camera did not cover.”

Counsel for the defendant, Babatunde Ogala, during cross-examination asked Ajayi-Kayode to explain how she came to the conclusion that Olaleye engaged the teenage girl in “serial sexual” activities.

The child specialist said she drew her conclusion based on her findings as it relates to the forensic interview with the survivor.

Asked if she spoke to a medical doctor, a psychologist, or the police before drawing her conclusion, Ajayi-Kayode responded in the negative.

After Ajayi-Kayode’s testimony and the cross-examination, the presiding judge, Rahman Oshodi, adjourned the case till Wednesday to hear more testimonies from witnesses.

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

metro

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

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Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.