Dr. Femi Olaleye, a Lagos-based medical doctor previously convicted by a Lagos High Court but later acquitted by the Court of Appeal, is set to be arraigned at Maidstone Crown Court, Kent, United Kingdom, on Friday, December 5, over alleged sexual offences.

The offences reportedly occurred before Dr. Olaleye relocated to Nigeria several years ago. His arraignment (Case No. 46/XY/11332/23) is scheduled for 9 a.m. UK time. Dr. Olaleye was reportedly detained last Thursday at Heathrow Airport.

According to reports, Dr. Olaleye, who was described as a father figure to the victim, allegedly attempted to bribe the minor to alter her testimony—a proposal the child rejected.

Dr. Olaleye was originally convicted in 2023 by Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, on November 29, 2024, the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction, citing inconsistencies in the prosecution’s evidence.

Dissatisfied with the appellate ruling, the Lagos State Government, through the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, filed an appeal at the Supreme Court seeking to reinstate the High Court conviction. A hearing date for the Supreme Court appeal is pending.

Sources in the UK allege that Dr. Olaleye had been linked to multiple sexual offences during an earlier stay in London but left the country before prosecution could proceed. He later faced similar accusations in Nigeria, leading to his initial conviction, subsequent acquittal, and eventual departure following the Appeal Court ruling.

Dr. Olaleye, Medical Director of the Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, is currently being held at North Kent Police Station, Thames Way, Northfleet, Kent, pending his UK court appearance.

The Lagos State Government argues that the Court of Appeal’s decision undermined the credibility of trial court findings in sexual offence cases. Their appeal focuses on four key grounds, including whether the unchallenged age of the victim could be contested at the appellate stage and whether the offences of defilement and sexual assault by penetration were proven beyond reasonable doubt.

Legal analysts note that the Supreme Court ruling could set a significant precedent in Nigeria regarding the handling of sexual violence and child protection cases.