Crime
Nollywood actor, Baba Ijesha guilty of sexual assault, bags jail term
Nollywood actor and comedian Olanrewaju James, also known as Baba Ijesha, was given a 16-year prison term for sexual assault by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offenses Court.
On Thursday, Justice Taiwo issued the ruling and added that the jail sentence would be served concurrently.
Baba Ijesha was convicted for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old daughter of his colleague, actress and comedienne, Damilola Adekoya with a stage name Princess.
Recall that operatives of the Nigeria Police arrested Baba Ijesha April 2021 for sleeping with the victim since she was seven years old.
READ ALSO: Baba-Ijesa: 14-year-old tells court of how actor abused her 7 years ago in court
He was reported to the police on April 19, 2021 by Princess at Sabo Police Station and transferred to the Gender Unit of the State CID, Panti, Yaba Lagos for proper investigation
The suspect confessed to the crime and was also captured by a CCTV camera in the house of the complainant.
Few days later, Baba Ijesha was arraigned before Justice Taiwo facing a six-count charge of child defilement bordering on allegations of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.
In further court proceedings, it was ruled that the CCTV recordings on Baba Ijesha may have been tampered with.
In February 2022, a defence witness and expert in CCTV installation and maintenance, Adeleke Lawrence suggested this before an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court last year.
Lawrence alluded to this while being led in evidence by Babatunde Ogala (SAN) in the ongoing trial of the Nollywood comedian.
Four video recordings of Baba Ijesha were played during resumed proceedings following the request of Ogala.