IKEJA COURT SENTENCES OKADA RIDER TO 14 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR DEFILEMENT OF 11-YEAR-OLD STEPDAUGHTER

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The defendant, a baker from the Ileejo area of Lekki, Lagos, is being tried for sexual assault.

An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court has sentenced an okada rider, Mathew Olateju, to 14 years imprisonment for defiling his 11-year-old stepdaughter.

Justice Rahman Oshodi convicted Olateju of the offence following yesterday following a plea bargain agreement.

Olateju, was arrested in Ikeja on February 26, 2020 and was first arraigned on August 17, 2020 before the court.

During his first court appearance on August 17, 2020, Olateju pleaded not guilty to the charge of child defilement brought against him by the state.

State prosecuting counsel, Bukola Okeowo asked the court for more time to present witnesses and gather more evidences against the perpetrator, leading to an adjournment.

During the second hearing, the prosecution called several witnesses, including the victim’s mother, the doctor who examined the girl, and one Mrs. Adebayo.
The medical report showed the victim had ‘a whitish, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, redness in her vagina, and 2cm penetration in her anus, confirming sexual abuse”.

Mrs. Adebayo testified that she saw the victim and her mother at a canteen and noticed scars on the victim’s mother body.
When she asked the victim about the scars, the girl said her stepfather, Mathew Olateju, had beaten her mother because she confronted him for bringing another woman home and was having sex with her

On November 4, 2025, the defendant, through his counsel O.C. Stanley, entered a plea bargain agreement with the prosecution.
The court registrar read the charges again to Olateju.
He pleaded guilty to the ammended charges.
Olateju also admitted that he often carried out the assaults at night when the victim’s mother was absent.
He also admitted that he saw blood on the victim on several occasions.

Delivering judgment in the matter yesterday, Justice Oshodi noted that while the offence normally attracts life imprisonment, the plea bargain allowed a reduced sentence.
Olateju through his counsel, Stanley, pleaded for leniency. Stanley informed the court that the convict had learnt his lesson and was ready to contribute positively to society.
After the allocutus by the defence, Justice Oshodi sentenced Olateju to 14 years imprisonment.

Justice Oshodi also ordered that Olateju’s name be registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register.