In a case that highlights the profound human cost of prolonged legal battles, a 70-year-old man has finally walked free after spending eight years in custody over allegations of child molestation. Idowu Fashola, an elderly man from Ibadan, Oyo State, was discharged and acquitted by a Lagos court, which found the prosecution's case lacking in credible evidence.
A Life Upended by an Accusation
The ordeal for Pa Idowu Fashola began in 2017 when he was accused of defiling a minor. The alleged victim, Elizabeth Babatunde, was described as the granddaughter of his wife's elder sister and had lived with the Fashola family from the age of three until secondary school age. In a tearful account after his release, Fashola explained that the girl was brought to his home by his wife for care and training. He expressed shock when the girl's family later arrived with police officers, accusing him of rape.
Pa Fashola was initially arraigned on February 6, 2020, before Justice S.O. Nwaka, who has since been elevated to the Court of Appeal. The case was later reassigned, and he was re-arraigned on November 17, 2021, before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja. Throughout the proceedings, Fashola maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty to the one-count charge of defilement.
The Collapse of the Prosecution's Case
The trial saw the prosecution call four witnesses to testify. Their case was built on an account from a neighbour who allegedly observed inappropriate conduct involving the girl and her father, which was then reported to the Community for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR). This report triggered investigations that ultimately led to Fashola's arrest and prosecution.
However, in his defense, Fashola, who hails from Lagelu Local Government Area of Ibadan, denied the allegation outright. He testified that he was merely informed of the accusation but had no direct knowledge of the incident from the alleged victim herself.
The turning point came with the judgment delivered by Justice Rahman Oshodi on December 1, 2025. The judge held that the prosecution failed to provide credible and admissible evidence to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. A critical flaw was the absence of the alleged victim's firsthand testimony.
Justice Served After an Eight-Year Struggle
Justice Oshodi noted that the prosecutrix neither testified in court nor identified her alleged assailant with any certainty. Her absence created a fundamental gap in the evidence, which could not be filled by the testimony of witnesses who did not personally witness the alleged act. Consequently, the court dismissed the charge, discharging and acquitting Pa Fashola.
His freedom was secured through the dedicated efforts of the Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development (FPILD), a nonprofit organization focused on ensuring access to justice for all. The FPILD championed his case through the eight-year legal battle, culminating in the successful acquittal.
This case underscores the vital importance of robust evidence in criminal proceedings and the devastating impact that lengthy detentions can have on individuals, especially the elderly, even when they are ultimately found innocent.
