HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP APPLAUD COURT’S JUDGEMENT ON DR. OLALEYE
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Human rights advocates and activists have welcomed Dr. Olufemi Olaleye’s life sentence for sexually assaulting and defiling a 16-year-old girl, and have also condemned the rise in sexual assault cases in Nigeria.
Speaking on behalf of the interested parties on Friday, Adesina Ogulana, the chairman of the Radical Agenda Movement in the Nigerian Bar Association (RAMINBA), stated that they all collaborated to get the verdict against Olaleye.
He said the concerned groups were grateful that they had forced the Lagos State government to detain and punish the prisoner for defiling his wife’s niece after a year of filing complaints.
“Our joy knew know bounds when he was subsequently arrested and arraigned on two counts of sexual assault and defilement of his wife’s niece,” Ogulana said.
The concerned groups expressed gratitude to Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja High Court in Lagos State for ruling against Olaleye and guaranteeing the survivor’s right to justice without requiring payment or favouritism.
Anthonia Ojenagbon, the founder of the Tonia Bruised But Not Broken Foundation, was among the advocates who stated that the convict offered the survivor and her mother N400,000 in hush money in exchange for their changing their story before the judgement.
The RAMINBA chairman said the spate of sexual assault and defilement cases across Nigeria show that “the war against sexual and gender based violence is still raging.”
Ogunlana, who was a former leader of the NBA Ikeja Branch, said an alleged brutal rape of a 3-years-old girl which required surgery in Enugu State was a highlight of the prevalece of crimes of defilement and sexual assault in Nigeria.
He alleged that the school under whose care the alleged rape happened are in cahoots with the Enugu State Police Command and that while they were yet to investigate the matter, had begun to threaten to arrest the alleged victim’s mother for defamation.
The RAMINBA chairman said they got a report of another girl who was brutally raped and dumped somewhere in Ojodu, Lagos State, in her bloodied uniform and has died before they could help her.
Ogunlana said another six-year-old girl was raped, beaten and strangulated to death at the Ipaja area of Lagos State and that the State has yet to charge the alleged perpetrator, who is still in police custody at the SCID Panti, to court.
The advocates, including Aderonke Oyelakin, the Lagos state coordinator of Child Protection Network, said they are already on the case of the abused 3-year-old girl in Enugu and that Non-governmental organisations are ready to support survivors.
The activists thanked the wife of the convict, Mrs Remi Olaleye, for the role she played in the conviction and sentencing of her husband.
“You are the real heroine. You saved our wives, sisters and daughters from being molested by this serial and unremorseful fiend. May posterity judge you most kindly,” Ogunlana said.
Moreover, Ogunlana said the activists were shocked by the reaction from some Nigerians, especially on social media, who were of the opinion that Olaleye’s sentencing was too much and others who said that the convict’s wife should not have taken a stand against her husband.
Ogunlana asked the public to put themselves in the shoes of the survivor and her family and asked instead for more support to the fight against sexual assault.
He said, “Stop toxic forgiveness or what we call ‘By fire, by force forgiveness’ of perpetrators.”
The activists thanked the Lagos State government, the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions and the Nigerian Police Force for assisting them in the matter.
The advocate groups include the Radical Movement in the NBA, Tonia Bruised But Not Broken, Stop The Abuse Foundation and Mirabel Center.
Others include the Cece Yara Foundation, Child Protection Network, Be Inspired Women Empowerment Foundation, Bimbo Odukoya Foundation, and Advocate for children and vulnerable persons network.
Also, the Smile and shine children Foundation, the Family wellness therapy, the Mom to mom Foundation and the Centre Against Injustice and Domestic Violence.
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