An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Thursday granted bail in the sum of two million naira and two sureties to Nollywood actor, Omiyinka Olanrewaju, who is also known as Baba Ijesha.
Justice Toyin Taiwo granted him bail after taking submissions from the prosecution and defence in the matter, and ordered that one of the sureties must be a blood relative of the defendant, and the other, a lawyer.
Baba Ijesha was arrested on April 22, 2021 over alleged sexual defilement of a minor, and has been in custody since then.
His defence team was led by two Senior Advocates of Nigeria with 17 other lawyers, at the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja.
They included Dada Awosika, SAN; and Babatunde Ogala, SAN, while the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, Olayinka Adeyemi and four other prosecutors appeared for the state.
Baba Ijesha’s defence team had asked for bail for him on health grounds.
Baba Ijesha has been in police custody since April 22, 2021, when the Lagos State Police Command announced his arrest for allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the care of Princess.
On May 17, 2021, Baba Ijesha was granted bail by magistrates and judicial workers on tour to decongest prisons in the state during the industrial action by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria.
However, Baba Ijesha could not meet the bail conditions which include N500,000 and a level 16 civil servant as surety.
Omiyinka was subsequently arraigned before the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Yaba last Wednesday on charges bordering on rape, sexual assault and abuse of a minor.
He was charged with indecent treatment of a child, defilement of a child, sexual assault by penetration, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault, which contravene sections 135, 137, 261, 202, 262 and 263 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2015.
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 the charges.
