70-year-old man cleared of child molestation charge after 8 years in custody (video)

An elderly man, Idowu Fashola, has shared his experience after being in custody for 8 years over child molestation accusation.

Pa Fashola, 70, was accused of r@ping a young girl who had lived with his family from the age of three.

Speaking after his release, he explained that the girl was brought to his home by his wife for care and training and remained with them until she reached secondary school age before returning to her parents.

In tears, he narrated how the family later arrived with the police and accused him of r@pe, leading to a prolonged court case and his detention.

He was recently found not guilty and discharged after the court determined he had no case to answer.

A nonprofit organization focused on ensuring access to justice for all, the Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development (FPILD) secured the discharge and acquittal of Pa Idowu Fashola, 70, after an eight-year legal battle over an allegation of defilement of a minor.

Pa Fashola was discharged and acquitted on December 1, 2025, by Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offenses Court sitting in Ikeja, following the dismissal of a one-count charge of defilement filed against him.

The prosecution had alleged that in 2017, Pa Fashola engaged in sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl, Elizabeth Babatunde, described as the granddaughter of his wife’s elder sister.

Following his arraignment, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.

He was initially arraigned on February 6, 2020, before Honorable Justice SO Nwaka, who is now a Justice of the Court of Appeal.

The matter was later reassigned, and Pa Fashola was re-arraigned on November 17, 2021, before Justice Oshodi, where he again entered a plea of ​​not guilty.

During the trial, the prosecution called four witnesses.

According to the prosecution’s case, a neighbor allegedly observed inappropriate conduct involving the prosecutor (alleged victim) and her father, which prompted a report to the Community for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR). Investigations subsequently led to the arraignment of Pa Fashola.

In his defence, Pa Fashola, who hails from Lagelu Local Government Area of ​​Ibadan, Oyo State, denied the allegation, stating in his testimony that he was merely informed that he had been accused of having sexual intercourse with the prosecutor.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Oshodi held that the prosecution failed to provide credible and admissible evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant had sexual intercourse with the prosecutor in 2017.

The Court observed that the failure of the prosecutor to give first-hand testimony on the alleged incident was fatal to the prosecution’s case.

Justice Oshodi noted that the prosecutor neither testified nor identified her alleged assailant with certainty, adding that her absence created a fundamental gap in the evidence, which could not be cured by the testimony of witnesses who did not personally witness the alleged act. The judge consequently discharged and acquitted the defendant.

Watch the interview Pa Fashola granted after his release below.

Lagos Man Cleared of Child Molestation Charge After Seven Years in Custody

An elderly man, Idowu Fashola, has shared his experience after being accused of raping a young girl who had lived with his family from the age of three. He explained that the girl was brought to his home… pic.twitter.com/dJcLB8B3jW

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