Timeline Of Popular Nollywood Actor Baba Ijesha’s S*xual Assault Trial

It’s now not information that Olanrewaju James, a in style Nollywood actor, who’s populalry often referred to as Baba Ijesha, has been jailed.

On April 19, 2021, a video clip exhibiting Baba Ijesha assaulting a minor went viral on social media.

The 14-year-old is a foster daughter of actress and comedienne Damilola Adekoya (alias Princess).

At the an identical date, Princess reported  a case of s*xual attack of  a minor to the Sabo Police Station, Yaba, Lagos State.

She urged the police that the crime took place at her place of abode.

The case was once transferred to the Gender Unit of the State Felony Investigation Division, Panti, Yaba, for investigation. Baba Ijesha was once, thus, arrested on April 22, 2021.

The case attracted  public attention from the time of his arraignment on June 24, 2021, till Thursday, July 14, 2022, when Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja Particular Offences Court docket delivered judgment right through the case, convicting Baba Ijesha and sentencing him to 16 consecutive years in prison which would possibly, alternatively, run similtaneously for 5 years.

The criminal trial  had the prosecution  team of workers presenting six witnesses.

It’s worthy to notice that prosecution team of workers was once to start with led by means of Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi, the then Lagos State Director of  Public Prosecutions (DPP). She was once changed by means of Dr Babajide Martins, following her  appointment as a decide right through the Lagos State Judiciary.

Defence team of workers equipped Four witnesses together with Baba Ijesha. The actor’s  defence team of workers of over 10 legal professionals  was once led by means of two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN),  Messrs  Babatunde Ogala and Dada Awosika.

The On-line Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) gifts a timeline of the trial which lasted for a 12 months and 3 weeks and culminated in a responsible verdict in  a court docket stuffed with legal professionals, Nollywood actors and actresses, fans and utterly other sympathisers, and contributors of the general public.

JUNE 16, 2021:

Lagos State Executive arraigned Baba Ijesha faster than a Yaba Magistrates’ Court docket on fees of indecent remedy of a kid, defilement of a kid, s*xual attack by means of penetration, attempted s*xual attack by means of penetration and s*xual attack.

He pleaded no longer responsible to the fee nevertheless was once remanded in custody by means of Justice of the Peace P.E. Nwaka due to indications that the subject was once faster than a Lagos  Prime Court docket.

Justice of the Peace Nwaka  ruled:  “Since there are indications that the subject is previous than the over the top court docket and the defendant will appear previous than the court docket, no bail may well be given.

“The defendant will have to be accorded complete clinical consideration by means of the government pending his arraignment on the prime court docket.”

JUNE 24, 2021

The Lagos State Executive arraigned Baba Ijesha on a six-count worth bordering on indecent remedy of a kid, s*xual attack, attempted s*xual attack by means of penetration and s*xual attack by means of penetration.

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo granted the  actor bail right through the sum of 2 million Naira with two sureties in like sum. She ordered that the actor will have to wonderful his bail within seven days.

Baba Ijesha was once, alternatively, introduced to the  custody of his suggest, Ogala, pending  perfection of his bail.

The case was once adjourned till July 26, 2021, for trial.

JULY 26, 2021

Prosecution equipped its first witness,  Princess, the foster mom of the defiled minor.

Led in evidence by means of Adeyemi, the then DPP, Princess  narrated how Baba Ijesha first defiled her foster daughter in 2013 when the minor was once seven years previous. The witness said the primary defilement took place when Baba Ijesha paid her a move to while she was once getting better from an sickness.

She said that the primary defilement took place when she left her apartment for more or less seven mins to peer off a purchaser while the actor was once by myself along along side her then seven-year-old daughter who was once staring at cartoons.

Princess urged the court docket docket that the minor urged her regarding the s*xual molestation seven years after.

She testified that so as  to collect evidence and possibly catch the defendant right through the act, she arrange a ‘sting operation’ in her living.

She narrated further how Baba Ijesha was once stuck in her living with the help of Shut Circuit Tv (CCTV) on April 19, 2021, molesting her daughter.

JULY 27, 2021

Go-examining Princess,  defence suggest, Awosika, submitted that the actor didn’t s*xually attack the minor right through the CCTV photos. He argued that the  photos was once scripted.

“The defendant didn’t at anytime transfer his hand towards any delicate a part of your daughter’s frame. No the place did he contact her boobs, slip his arms into her personal phase or caress any delicate phase,” Awosika said.

Responding, Princess said: “For those who name her breasts, her laps, her ears and her tongue no longer delicate, then I don’t trust you.” Princess additionally denied liberating the viral CCTV photos of Baba Ijesha molesting her daughter to the general public.

After Princess’s cross-examination, her 14-year-old daughter gave evidence. So as to give protection to her identity, contributors of the general public and press were ordered by means of Taiwo to vacate the court docket.

SEPT. 28, 2021

The 3rd prosecution witness, a childcare  trained, Mrs Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, narrated how the actor defiled the minor. She urged the court docket docket that  Baba Ijesha’s interactions with the minor were the standard dynamics of kid s*xual abuse and the modus operandi of perpetrators.

She said that the actor used the guns of inculcation of secrecy, intimidation, threat or coercion.

Oct. 20, 2021

All the way through cross-examination of Ajayi-Kayode by means of Ogala, a tape recording of  teen forensic interview performed at the minor by means of the trained on Might 15, 2021, was once performed in court docket docket. Within the video, the minor urged Ajayi-Kayode that Baba Ijesha urged her he was once her boyfriend.

The witness urged the court docket docket that by way of the forensic interview, the minor gave a “unfastened narrative recall” of occasions that transpired seven years prior to now, along side that she had asked her impartial, open-ended questions to hunt out out whether or not or no longer or no longer she was once mendacity or coached.

OCT. 21, 2021

A clinical physician, Dr Aniekan Makanjuola, testified that clinical examinations  printed that the minor were defiled. “Our findings have been that there was once a blunt penetration of the vagina which was once in line with the customer’s historical past,” she said.

On cross-examination by means of Ogala, she said she said, “The lacerations discovered within the genitalia weren’t fresh, my lord,” Makanjuola said.

NOV. 5, 2021

ASP Wahab Kareem urged the court docket docket that Baba Ijesha was once dealing with one other allegation of defilement of a minor.

“All the way through our investigation, some other lady (title withheld) got here ahead and stated that the defendant assaulted her when she was once 12 years previous,” he said.

All the way through cross-examination by means of Ogala, the  police officer admitted {that a} legal professional was once no longer provide when the actor gave an initial  statement to the police.

NOV. 12, 2021

Prosecution suggest, Mr Yusuf Sule, urged the court docket docket that one among many final two prosecution witnesses was once scared to testify in court docket docket.

“My lord, the main witness is a police officer alternatively couldn’t come to court docket as we talk on account of he has been transferred and will have to get permission from where he’s posted.

“The second one witness may just no longer come to court docket. He’s jittery, he’s scared to come back to court docket,” he said.

Yusuf, alternatively, confident the court docket docket that the witnesses will without doubt be available by means of the following adjourned date.

NOV. 19, 2022

All the way through evidence by means of  the 6th prosecution witness, Insp Abigail Omane, defence team of workers led by means of Ogala alleged that Baba Ijesha’s confessional statement to the police was once made underneath duress. The decide because of this ordered a trial-within-trial to hunt out out the voluntariness of the defendant’s statement to the police.

DEC. 2, 2021

Following adoption of  written addresses right through the trial-within-trial by means of the prosecution and defence, the decide scheduled ruling at the admissibility  of the actor’s confessional statement for Dec. 15.

DEC. 15, 2021

The decide ruled  that Baba Ijesha’s confessional statement to the police was once admissible. Taiwo said that there was once no evidence faster than the court docket docket which showed that the actor was once tortured into giving the statement to the police.

Following the ruling, the then DPP, Adeyemi, urged the court docket docket that Lagos State Executive had closed its case in path of the defendant.

A member of defence team of workers, Mr Kayode Olabiran, trained the court docket docket that defence intended to record a no-case submission. The case was once adjourned till Jan. 26 for adoption of the no-case submission by means of defence.

JAN. 26, 2022

Baba Ijesha made a U-turn, ditched plans to make a no-case submission. A member of the defence team of workers, Mr A.O Alo, said,  “The defendant has determined to position in his defence, and we now have determined to not record a no-case submission once more.”

FEB. 17, 2022

The primary defence witness, Mr Lawrence Ayeni, a graduate of mechanical engineering with enjoy in video production and CCTV organize and upkeep, testified that elements of the CCTV photos were edited. The witness claimed that the minor and the actor were each and every appearing out a script right through the photos.

All the way through cross-examination by means of Martins, the fashion new DPP, the witness admitted that tampering with the recording or the use of slightly a couple of gadgets to record the photos couldn’t alternate the content material subject matter fabrics.

MARCH 4, 2022

Baba Ijesha took the witness stand. He urged the court docket docket that Princess, the foster mom of the defiled minor, was once his former lover. He added that he was once appearing a script right through the viral video and that he and Princess were each and every the administrators of the producing. He denied defiling the minor at Princess’s living seven years previous.

Beneath cross-examination, Martins asked the actor that since he claimed that the CCTV photos was once a part of a film, whether or not or no longer or no longer it was once appropriate for him to imitate the act or if truth be told s*xual attack an underage as a part of appearing. Baba Ijesha, in his reaction, said the scenes he acted with the minor were appropriate.

MARCH 11, 2022

The 3rd defence witness, a Medical Psychologist, Dr Olukayode Olugbemi, urged the court docket docket that the minor  perceived to were tutored in her narration of what transpired. Beneath cross-examination by means of Martins, the witness admitted  that he couldn’t  be completely sure that the  defilement didn’t occur.

APRIL 1, 2022

The fourth and ultimate defence witness, a Nollywood actor, Mr Olukayode Ogunbanjo alias ‘Pastor Jerosi’, urged the court docket docket that Baba Ijesha and Princess were in a courting.

Defence  closed its case and Taiwo adjourned the case till June 6 for the adoption of ultimate written maintain.

JUNE 6, 2022

Prosecution and the defence followed their ultimate written addresses. Defence suggest, Awosika, in adopting his ultimate written  maintain dated Might 12, recommended the court docket docket to brush aside the suit and discharge the actor. Awosika argued that the CCTV photos was once illegally received, along side that the alleged defilement seven years previous was once by no means reported to government. He additionally said that Baba Ijesha’s confessional statement was once made underneath duress.

Within the prosecution’s written maintain dated Might 31, Martins recommended the court docket docket to convict the defendant. He argued that the primary defence witness admitted underneath cross-examination that  content material subject matter fabrics of a CCTV couldn’t be manipulated. He well known that the actor admitted by way of the trial that he by no means mentioned that he was once appearing a script when he was once detained by means of the police.

JULY 14, 2022

Taiwo convicted Baba Ijesha and sentenced him to 16 years imprisonment consecutively for s*xually assaulting a minor. She discovered him responsible on Four of the six counts he faced.

The decide didn’t discover the actor  responsible on depend one (s*xual attack by means of penetration) and depend six (attempted s*xual attack by means of penetration).

The decide sentenced Baba Ijesha to 5 years imprisonment on depend two (indecent remedy of a kid),  3 years on depend 3 (s*xual attack),  Five years on depend 4 (indecent remedy of a kid) and 3 years on depend 5 (s*xual attack).

Baba Ijesha will alternatively serve Five years in prison as a result of the sentences are to run similtaneously.

“The defendant took his appearing too some distance. The may be very unhappy. The behaviour of the defendant is appalling, as this displays the duration folks can move in displaying the animalistic urge in them,” the decide said while convicting Baba Ijesha.

On taking note of the selection, the actor broke down in tears. He was once  surrounded and comforted by means of his colleagues right through the film undertaking.

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Supply: NAN