By Doris Israel Ijeoma
An Ikeja special offences court in Lagos State has declared embattled Nollywood actor, Omiyinka Olanrewaju, aka Baba Ijesha, guilty of sexual assault involving a minor.
The court, therefore, sentenced him to 16 years’ imprisonment for the felony.
This was contained in the judgement given by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court on Thursday after he convicted Baba Ijesha of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, and attempted sexual assault in a two-hour judgment.
Baba Ijesha has been in a protracted legal battle after he was said to have sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl.
Baba Ijesha was arraigned on June 24, 2021. During the trial, six prosecution witnesses testified against him.
They are Princess, the 14-year-old minor, Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a child expert; Aniekan Makanjuola, a medical doctor; Wahab Kareem, the investigating police officer; and Abigail Omane, a policewoman.
He’s facing a six-count charge of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration, and sexual assault by penetration.
The charges were proffered against him by the Lagos state directorate of public prosecutions (DPP).
The popular Yoruba actor had claimed the scene showing his alleged molestation of a minor was part of movie production.
The actor told the court that it was the foster mother of the minor, Damilola Adekoya alias Princess, who asked him to kiss the minor adding that he was acting a script.
He made this revelation while being led in evidence by the defence counsel, Dada Awosika (SAN).
Baba Ijesha claimed he had received a call from Princess who requested that he should be part of movie production.
Also, a Clinical Psychologist, Dr Olukayode Olugbemi, while testifying as the third defence witness before an Ikeja Special Offences Court, claimed that a 14-year-old minor whom Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James, alias Baba Ijesha allegedly defiled, appeared to have been tutored in her narration of what transpired.
Olugbemi also noted that “something was wrong” with the footage of an interview conducted by child rights expert and prosecution witness, Mrs Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode.
He made the claim while testifying as the third defence witness before an Ikeja Special Offences Court.
