The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has affirmed the judgment of a Lagos State High Court, which sentenced Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James, popularly called Baba Ijesha to five years imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old minor.
The Lagos State Government had prosecuted Baba Ijesha on a six-count charge of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.
In her judgment, the trial judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo now retired of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, on July 14, 2022, sentenced Baba Ijesha to five years imprisonment over the sexual assault of a minor.
The court found Baba Ijesha guilty of indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault, of a minor between 2013 and 2014, which is contrary to Section 135 of Lagos State Criminal Law 2015.
Dissatisfied with the verdict, Baba Ijesha through his counsel Kayode Olabiran, appeal the lower court decision, praying the appellate court to allow the appeal and set aside his conviction and sentence.
Delivering judgment on the appeal, Justice Folashade Ojo set aside appellant’s conviction on indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault of a minor which allegedly occurred between 2013 and 2014, describing the testimony of PW1 (Damilola Adekoya) as hearsay.
Justice Ojo however found the appellant guilty on counts 4 and 5, where he was accused of indecently touching a minor and sexually assaulted her.
The court held that the appellant’s voluntarily confessed to the crime of of April 19, 2021, and did not challenge the statement of (PW1), Damilola Adekoya throughout the proceedings.
The judge noted that the appellant made extra judicial statement at Sabo Police station Lagos State on April 19, 2021, and another statement at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti on April 28, 2021, which were tendered in evidence.
