Baba Ijesha discovered responsible, jailed for 16 years

Nigerian actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, aka Baba Ijesha, has been sentenced to 16 years imprisonment.

Baba Ijesha is going by the use of six counts of kid defilement that embody indecent remedy of a kid, $exual attack, attempted $exual attack by way of penetration and #exual attack by way of penetration.

The Lagos State Directorate of Public (*16*), which proffered the costs against the actor, argued that the offences contravene Segment 135, 137, 261, 202, 262 and 263 of the Lagos State Felony Legislation 2015, which stipulates lifestyles imprisonment for offenders.

Baba Ijesha pleaded now not responsible to all of the counts. On the other hand, a Closed-Circuit Tv video recording detailing his dating with the victim said to be a minor used to be performed in court docket docket docket.

Turning in the judgement, Justice Taiwo said that the prosecution didn’t provide earlier low cost doubt that the defendant is responsible of the entire fees against him.

On the other hand, she found out the defendant responsible of 2 of the six counts against him.

The defendant used to be arraigned on June 24, 2021. All through the trial, six prosecution witnesses testified against him.

They’d been actress and comedienne, Princess, the 14-year-old minor, a child knowledgeable, Mrs Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, and clinical physician, Dr Aniekan Makanjuola.

Others have been the Investigating Police Officer, ASP Wahab Kareem, and a policewoman, Inspector Abigail Omane.

The DPP closed its case against the defendant on December 15, 2021, while Baba Ijesha referred to as four witnesses and closed its defence on April 1.

The defence witnesses have been Baba Ijesha (defendant) and Mr Lawrence Ayeni, a professional in video production and CCTV organize and upkeep.

Mr Olukayode Olugbemi, a clinical psychologist and Mr Olukayode Ogunbanjo, the defendant’s good friend and colleague additionally testified for the defence.

Defence suggest, Mr Dada Awosika (SAN), in adopting his ultimate written maintain dated Would possibly 12 and filed on Would possibly 16, steered the court docket docket docket to push aside the cross correctly with and discharge the defendant.

Awosika argued that the photos of the CCTV used to be illegally bought.

He had said, “Within the interest of justice, showcase A which used to be the CCTV photos that recalled the instance used to be illegally bought.

“The showcase used to be now not tendered by way of the maker. It used to be tendered by way of Princess, the complainant.”

He argued that the recording have been tampered with significantly for the reason that defendant didn’t cross to the complainant’s place of dwelling uninvited.

He additional submitted that the alleged confessional statement of the defendant failed the supply of Segment 9 (3 ) of the Management of Felony Justice Legislation (ACJL) of Lagos State 2021.

“The Proof Act lets in rules to knowledge the admissibility of bureaucracy previous than the court docket docket. ACJL has said that if a confessional statement is to be used, it will have to meet some certain degree by way of ACJL which isn’t applied in this case.

“We urge the court docket docket to discredit the confessional statement. The defendant moved in a couple of minutes to participate in a short lived skit that put him in trouble. My Lord, my client used to be trapped.

“In regards to the age of the girl in question, Reveals D and E normally aren’t pronouncing the equivalent issue.

“It’s our submission My Lord, that the court docket docket is bound to call the natural mother contained within the box to tell us her precise age or her starting certificate or medical evidence is tendered to decide the age then again none used to be completed.

“The prosecution agreed that the age of the minor should be established. On the other hand, it has additionally agreed that not anything has been completed to give you the actual age,” Awosika said.

The Director of DPP, Dr Babajide Martins, in his ultimate written maintain dated Would possibly 31, nevertheless, steered the court docket docket docket to convict Baba Ijesha as charged.

He argued that definitely one of the defence witnesses, Mr Lawrence Ayeni, an expert the court docket docket docket that the CCTV recording couldn’t be manipulated.

“At the drawback of the CCTV recording My Lord, the principle defence witness (Ayeni) suggested this honourable court docket docket all the way through cross-examination that it may possibly’t be manipulated and that the content material subject material of CCTV can’t be changed.

“Most significantly, he discussed he cannot say if the sexual attack didn’t happen. Those are the testimonies from the defence witness My Lord.

“The defendant admitted to were with the girl in each and every the incident that came about seven years previously and the only which came about in 2021.

“He moreover admitted to have sucked her hands all the way through the cross-examination.

“At the drawback of ACJL, the primary rules supersedes the secondary rules.

“At the drawback of a clinical certificate, the defendant discussed he didn’t have any scenario with the clinical doctor and had under no circumstances met him after I cross-examined him.

“Because of this, he has no reason why to deceive the court docket,” Martins said.

Martins additional an expert the court docket docket docket that the definition of a kid used to be anyone under the age of 18 years and that the prosecution had showed that the girl used to be under the age.

The DPP said the defendant additionally admitted right through the trial that he in no way mentioned that he used to be acting a script when he used to be detained by way of the police at Sabo and Panti.