A Lagos High Court has ordered the arrest and appearance in court of Rahmat Omolara Animashaun for making false sexual assault allegations against her estranged husband regarding their two minor children.

The development follows an investigation report from the Police and a legal advice issued by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lagos State Ministry of Justice, both recommending her prosecution for multiple criminal offences.

Justice I.O. Harrison of the Lagos State High Court issued a bench warrant for her arrest for failing to appear before the court on July 9, 2025, in a pending criminal case marked LD/25997C/25, filed by the State of Lagos.

According to the DPP’s legal advice, the defendant is answering to charges of perjury, bringing false accusations, making false statements to a public officer and attempting to pervert justice.

These offences are punishable under Sections 86, 95, 96, and 97(3) of the Lagos State Criminal Law, Chapter C17, Volume 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

The matter stems from a bitter custody battle between Ms. Animashaun and her estranged husband, Mr Adewale Olatunji, following their separation and pending divorce.

The couple shares custody of their two minor children. On October 16, 2022, Ms Animashaun alleged that both children returned from their father’s home appearing pale and sickly.

She subsequently filed a petition with the Police Zone 2 Command, Lagos, accusing the man of sexually molesting their two children and supported her allegations with medical reports from the Mirabel Centre.

Based on her petition and report, Mr Olatunji was arrested by the Zone 2 Police Command. Upon interrogation, Mr Olatunji vehemently denied the allegations and sought further medical evaluation. This led to follow-up examinations at the Police Cottage Hospital, where medical personnel reported no bruises seen and could not confirm any sexual abuse of the children.

The attending doctors recommended specialist reviews for both children, by a pediatric surgeon for the male child and a gynaecologist for the female child, on November 17, 2022 and all parties were asked to be present.

However, Ms Animashaun and the Zone 2 Police failed to present the children for the scheduled examinations on that date. Mr Olatunji suspected connivance and petitioned the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Headquarters, Abuja, through his lawyers.

This led to the takeover of the case file from the Zone 2 Police Command.Parties were invited to report to FCID Headquarters, Abuja, as part of the investigation; however, Ms Animashaun failed to honour the invitations.

She was subsequently directed by the investigating officers to produce both children for medical evaluation at the National Hospital, Abuja, to corroborate her allegations.

Despite several invitations by the police, she refused to honour them and eventually fled to America with the children. This led to a warrant being issued by the magistrate court of Lagos State for her arrest.

After custody proceedings that spanned several months, the Queens Family Court in New York ordered that Mr Olatunji take possession of the children to facilitate their return to Nigeria.

Upon arrival in Nigeria, Mr Olatunji presented the children to the investigating officers of the FCID Headquarters Abuja on February 7, 2025, for medical evaluation at the National Hospital Abuja and to conclude their investigation. Examinations conducted by Dr. Ukpai Nwankwo Ukpai and Dr. Idris Liman at the National Hospital declared both children healthy.

Ms Animashaun was subsequently arrested by the Police in March 2025 and was granted bail. The police investigation revealed that the medical reports that Ms. Animashaun submitted in support of her allegations were suspected to be fraudulent.

Based on the totality of medical reports and police investigative findings, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions concluded that Ms Animashaun deliberately made false accusations intended to implicate her ex-husband and obstruct justice.

According to the DPP, the conduct of the suspect was less than honest and honourable.

“The allegations, when weighed against the evidence, including the delayed medical evaluations and negative forensic findings, suggested a deliberate attempt to mislead authorities and damage Mr Olatunji’s reputation,” DPP stated. The case was adjourned to September 29, 2025.