Baba Ijesha convicted for assaulting minor, gets 16 years jail term

Nigerian Nollywood actor Olarenwaju James known as Baba Ijesha has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a minor.

Baba Ijesha has been in a protracted legal battle after he was said to have sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl.

The actor was arraigned on June 24, 2021. During the trial, six prosecution witnesses testified against him.

They are comedienne 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.

READ ALSO: How Baba Ijesha defiled minor, by forensic expert witness

The judge at Ikeja special offences court Oluwatoyin Taiwo convicted Baba Ijesha of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, and attempted sexual assault in a two-hour judgment.

Taiwo, however, discharged and acquitted him of count one and count six, which were: sexual assault by penetration and attempted sexual assault by penetration.

READ ALSO: I signed my confessional statement under duress, Baba Ijesha tells court

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 offences contravene Section 135, 137, 261, 202, 262 and 263 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015, which stipulates life imprisonment for offenders.

The actor denied the allegations. A CCTV video recording detailing his relationship with the victim said to be a minor was played in court.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Taiwo said that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of all the charges against him.

However, she found the defendant guilty of two of the six counts against him.