…faces between 3 years to life imprisonment
Olanrewaju Omiyinka James, also known as Baba Ijesha, the embattled Nollywood actor, was Wednesday arraigned at the Yaba Magistrate Court, which denied him bail.
The actor was taken to the court in a black maria vehicle of the Rapid Response Squad of the Police.
He was arraigned on a four-count charge of sexual assault, sexual assault by penetration, attempted rape, and indecent treatment of a child.
These offences contravene Sections 261, 262, 263, and 135 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (revised).
Defilement and sexual assault by penetration carry life imprisonment. The other three attract seven, three and 14 years’ imprisonment, respectively, under sections 135, 137, 261, 262 and 263 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
He pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
The prosecutor, ASP Thomas Nurudeen, told the court that the defendant committed the offences in 2013 and on April 19, 2021, at No. 13, Wegbo St., Iwaya, Lagos State.
He further told the court that Baba Ijesha earlier assaulted the girl sexually in 2013, when she was just seven years old by using his private part and a key to rub the private part of the minor.
Furthermore, Nurudeen said that the defendant sexually assaulted the minor again when she was 14 years old by touching all parts of her body indecently and having indecent deals with her that she could not legally consent to.
Chief Magistrate P.E. Nwaka took the defendant’s plea but ruled that his bail application should be taken at the Lagos High Court, to which the case was transferred.
Nwaka adjourned the case until July 14 for mention.
Baba Ijesha’s troubles followed reports that he sexually molested a 14-year-old girl in the care of Adekola Adekanya, a popular comedienne otherwise known as Princess.
He was subsequently arrested by the Police in Lagos on April 22, 2021, and has been in detention since then.
Although he was granted a bail in May, he could not meet the conditions, which included N500,000 bond and a level 16 civil servant as surety.
One of the suspect’s counsels, Kayode Olabinran, told journalist after the arraignment that he prayed the court to grant his client bail on health grounds.
He said the magistrate refused the request because the case had already been filed at the High Court in Lagos by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions in the state.
