Femi Olaleye, the managing director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping his wife’s niece.

The judge, Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence in Lagos, found the doctor guilty on Tuesday.

Mr Olaleye was arraigned on a two-count charge of defilement and sexual assault by penetration of his wife’s niece, offences which he was alleged to have committed between March 2020 and November 2021.

The defendant was arraigned on November 30, 2022, and he pleaded not guilty to the offences.

“Femi Olaleye, I have convicted you of defilement and sexual assault by penetration. This charge has a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.

Accordingly, I sentenced you to life imprisonment on count one and two. On each count, the sentencing will run concurrently,” the judge ruled.

Backstory

The prosecution presented at least seven witnesses. However, one was “withdrawn.”

The witnesses include the defendant’s wife, who reported the case to the police, the alleged survivor, (name withheld); a child forensic specialist; Bisi Ajayi-Kayode, a police inspector, Esther Igbineweka; a medical examiner, Akinbunmi Oyebimpe and Abe Leonard; a police officer.

Judgment

In his ruling, the judge said he believes the testimony of the survivor that the defendant raped the survivor and forcefully inserted his penis into her mouth.

He dismissed the claim of the defendant that the survivour was tutored and tortured to say she was raped, adding that the survivour was “consistent” with her testimony.

The judge also rejected the arguments of the defense team that the survivor was 18 years old when the incident happened and that the survivour had sexual intercourse with two adults at their residence.

The sexual abuse came with a threat. The defendant had groomed the prosecutory (referring to the survivor) with pornography,” the judge said.

“The prosecutory did not consent and did not willingly suck his penis.

I’m satisfied with prosecutory’s evidence that the defendant had sex with her and inserted his penis in her mouth and ejaculated.

“I believe the prosecutory that he forced her to suck his penis. I believe that the first time he had sex with her, blood gushed out of her vagina. Her evidence greatly implicates the defendant.”

On the argument of financial motivation, the judge held that the issues raised by the defendant that his wife was motivated by financial gains was to “deflate” the evidence of sexual abuse.

The defense lawyer had claimed that the survivour was tutored by the defendant’s wife to lie against him as part of the scheme to take over his properties.

“The defendant said his wife was motivated by financial gains, including taking the family home in Maryland, Lagos, Mercedes Benz, money in their joint account and custody of their two children,” the judge ruled.

Sentence

The judge ruled that the prosecution team was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt counts one and two filed against the defendant.

“I, therefore, feel satisfied that the prosecutor has established that (a) the prosecutory was a child by section 261 of the Child Rights Law of Lagos state 2015, the defendant had sexual intercourse with her by putting his penis in her vagina, the defendant also forced his penis into her mouth and ejaculated,” the judge ruled.

“I must conclude that the prosecution has established counts one and two against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt. I, therefore, find the defendant guilty as charged.”

The judge said that Mr Olaleye must be confined to the prison for a long period of time to convey that the justice system frowns at sexual violence.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) celebrated a significant milestone as it marked the first anniversary of its AI Developers Training (NAIDT) program.

Originally known as the NITDA Developers Group (NDG) Training, NAIDT has emerged as a critical initiative aimed at accelerating the technological prowess of young Nigerians in the ever-evolving field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

With AI being one of the most sought-after tech talents in today’s digital landscape, this program has become a beacon of hope for aspiring AI enthusiasts.

Under the wings of NAIDT and with unwavering support from volunteers associated with the Google Developers Group (GDG), NITDA has successfully empowered numerous Nigerian youth, guiding them on a transformative journey.

The program not only promises to change their lives but also radiates a positive domino effect that will resonate throughout society.

The foundation of NAIDT rests on NITDA’s “Learn, Teach, and Earn” philosophy. Graduates of the program have not only become proficient in AI but have also transformed into instructors. This approach fosters a continuous cycle of learning, teaching, and financial empowerment.

Former participants are now taking the lead as they teach and mentor the next generation of tech enthusiasts while enhancing their own financial standing through the earnings generated from the program.

As NITDA and GDG join in celebrating NAIDT’s first anniversary, they have much to be proud of. The program has achieved remarkable success, not only by upskilling Nigerian youths but also by inspiring participants to establish innovation-driven startups.

Names like ElonosiaAI, FundusAI, and Gyronics have already emerged as symbols of innovation and creativity. Others have taken on roles as ambassadors for tech giants like Microsoft, and some have started offering their services to foreign companies while residing in Nigeria.

Over the course of one year, NAIDT has conducted 12 cohorts, training a total of 2,785 Nigerians from diverse walks of life.

The program welcomes participants ranging from NYSC corps members and graduates to secondary school students and artisans. Training encompasses a wide spectrum of AI domains, including machine learning, data analytics, and other areas such as natural language processing (NLP).

Participants are also introduced to the utilization of AI tools like ChatGPT to harness the capabilities of large language models.

On this special occasion, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director-General of NITDA, extended his heartfelt congratulations to the program’s beneficiaries. He pledged to continue supporting startups that emerge from the program, ensuring they thrive in the tech ecosystem. Mr. Abdullahi expressed his gratitude to GDG for their unwavering commitment to the program’s success.

Despite these achievements, the Director-General noted the underrepresentation of female participants, with women constituting less than 10% of the program’s attendees. He issued a challenge to GDG, urging them to innovate and find solutions that promote gender balance in AI training, such as developing specialized programs aimed at empowering women in AI and other emerging technologies.

This emphasis on inclusivity demonstrates NITDA’s commitment to ensuring that all aspiring AI talents, regardless of gender, have an equal opportunity to participate and succeed in the program.

In a prestigious accolade, Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), has been granted an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Science (Honoris Causa) by the Federal University Lokoja (FUL) in Kogi State.

The formal conferral of this honorary degree took place during the joint 6th and 7th Convocation Ceremony, which occurred recently at the Permanent Site of FUL in Lokoja, Kogi State.

During the award presentation, Professor Olayinka Akinwumi, the Vice Chancellor of the University, highlighted Dr. Ernest Umakhihe’s remarkable contributions to the agricultural sector and national development, characterizing him as an exemplary administrator and achiever. Professor Akinwumi commended Dr. Umakhihe for his pivotal role in the establishment of an Agribusiness Incubation Centre (AIC) within the University, as well as the development of an access road connecting the AIC to the University Farm.

Furthermore, the Vice-Chancellor called upon other prominent Nigerians to emulate Dr. Umakhihe’s commitment to serving the nation by leveraging their positions to contribute to its development. He applauded Dr. Umakhihe for his unwavering dedication to national service and his role as an inspirational leader to those who work alongside him.

In his response, Dr. Umakhihe expressed his gratitude to the Vice Chancellor, the University’s management, and its entire staff for bestowing this significant honor upon him. He dedicated the award to his beloved wife, family, friends, honorable ministers, and the entire team at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court will today hear the appeals by Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi challenging the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Court which affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s election.

Members of the panel, which have yet to be unveiled, will hear the appeals by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) challenging the election of Mr Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja headed by Haruna Tsammani had ruled that Atiku and Mr Obi failed to substantiate their separate claims of widespread electoral malpractices during the conduct of the 25 February presidential election by Nigeria’s electoral commission, INEC.

The court also dismissed another petition filed by the APM on the ground that the suit was lacking in merit.

The issues raised in the appeals include the eligibility of President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s candidacy for the election.

The appellants also raised the issue of Mr Tinubu’s inability to secure 25 per cent of valid votes cast in Abuja during the polls.

They are also contesting INEC’s failure to electronically transmit polling unit results to its Results Viewing (IReV) portal in real-time and allegations of vote manipulation in favour of Mr Tinubu.

Atiku, Mr Obi and the APM all filed separate appeals to challenge the decision of the court.

Another key bone of contention before the seven-member panel of the Supreme Court is Mr Tinubu’s academic records which were obtained from the Chicago State University (CSU) in October by Atiku.

Atiku has already filed the president’s educational documents before the court, urging it to examine the authenticity of Mr Tinubu’s academic records from CSU.

However, Mr Tinubu’s lead lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), in court filings said Atiku and Mr Obi’s appeals lack substance.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the appeal filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) challenging the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) affirming President Bola Tinubu’s victory.

Justice Inyang Okoro, leading six other apex court justices, dismissed the appeal, saying that hearing it would amount to “a waste of the precious time of the court’’.

In the appeal, the APM prayed the court to hold that the PEPC misconceived the material facts before it when it struck out its undefended petition against Mr Tinubu’s victory.

The party asked the court to hold that the withdrawal of Kabiru Masari from the race, by operation of law, amounted to automatic withdrawal and invalidation of Mr Tinubu’s candidature as the APC presidential candidate.

Mr Masari was named the running mate of Mr Tinubu before Vice President Kashim Shetima replaced him.

The APM said in its brief of argument by its counsel, Chukwuma-Machukwu-Ume, SAN, that the PEPC wrongly struck out its petition.

The party prayed the court to set aside the lower court’s decision as being misconceived.

The PEPC had dismissed APM’s petition based on pre-hearing motions filed by INEC, APC and Mr Shettima.

According to the APM, the grounds upon which its petition was predicated was that Mr Tinubu was not qualified to contest in line with Section 134(1)(a) of the Electoral Act, 2022, at the time of the presidential election.

Mr Machukwu-Ume told the court that the PEPC misconceived his client’s material facts and case and wrongly progressed to determine issues not contemplated by the appellant’s petition and erroneously dismissed the petition.

However, efforts by Mr Machukwu-Ume to move the appeal were rejected by the panel on the grounds that moving it would amount to wasting the court’s precious time.

Justice Okoro, the presiding justice, insisted that the appeal be withdrawn since the issue had been decided.

“You are not asking us to make your candidate the president if your appeal succeeds.

“You just want to state the law and go home without benefit. We have other appeals that are substantial, and withdrawing this appeal will help reduce the workload on us.

“We have read the appeal and are unanimous that it is a non-issue, having been pronounced upon by this court,’’ Mr Okoro said.

Mr Machukwu-Ume, though reluctant, accepted and withdrew the appeal on behalf of his client, the APM.

All the respondents did not oppose the withdrawal or ask for cost.

The seven-member panel consequently dismissed the appeal after the appellant withdrew it. 

(NAN)