The Lagos State High Court has issued an arrest
warrant for Rahmat Omolara Animashaun over allegations of making false sexual
assault claims against her estranged husband, Adewale Olatunji, involving their
two minor children.
Justice Ibironke Harrison granted the bench warrant
after Ms. Animashaun failed to appear in court on July 9, in a criminal case
marked LD/25997C/25, filed by the Lagos State Government based on legal
advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
She is facing charges of perjury, false
accusation, false statement to a public officer with intent to mislead,
and attempt to pervert the course of justice—offences punishable under
Sections 86, 95, 96, and 97(3) of the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2015.
Background of the Case
The legal battle between Ms. Animashaun and Mr.
Olatunji stems from a custody dispute. On October 16, 2022, Ms.
Animashaun claimed that their children returned from visiting their father in
poor health and subsequently accused him of sexual abuse in a petition to the
Zone 2 Police Command in Lagos.
Mr. Olatunji denied the allegations. Medical
examinations conducted at the Police Cottage Hospital found no signs of abuse,
though doctors recommended further specialist assessments. A follow-up
appointment was scheduled for November 17, 2022, but Ms. Animashaun and
the police failed to present the children.
Subsequently, Mr. Olatunji’s legal team petitioned the
Deputy Inspector General of Police at the Force Criminal Investigation
Department (FCID), Abuja, prompting a federal-level review of the case. Ms.
Animashaun was ordered to bring the children to the National Hospital, Abuja,
but she instead took them to the United States.
A U.S. court—Queens Family Court in New York—later
ordered that the children be released to Mr. Olatunji to enable their return to
Nigeria. On February 7, doctors at the National Hospital in Abuja—Dr.
Ukpai Nwankwo Ukpai and Dr. Idris Liman—examined the children and found them to
be healthy, with no evidence of trauma or abuse.
Prosecution and Next Steps
The DPP concluded that Ms. Animashaun had fabricated
the allegations to mislead law enforcement, damage Mr. Olatunji’s reputation,
and obstruct justice. She was arrested in March and later granted bail pending
arraignment.
The police also discovered that medical reports
submitted by Ms. Animashaun were likely falsified.
“The conduct of the suspect was less than honest and
honourable,” the DPP noted in its legal assessment.
Security agencies have been directed to ensure Ms.
Animashaun is produced in court on September 29 for arraignment.
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