Embattled Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, aka Baba Ijesha, has filed an appeal challenging his five-year imprisonment.
On 14 July 2022, it was reported that Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of Ikeja Special Offences Court convicted and sentenced the comic actor for molesting a 14-year-old minor after over 12 months of trial.
In its Tuesday report, Channels TV stated that Baba Ijesha, in an appeal filed by his lawyer, Kayode Olabiran, asked the court to set aside his conviction.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Baba Ijesha’s counsel told the court that the appeal was filed on 1 June 2023.
Mr Olabiran informed the court that his client was set up, noting that he acted according to a script his colleague invited him to perform.
He said the prosecution did not prove his client segxwally assaulted the victim.
The Channels TV quotes of the actor’s counsel read thus: “The charge itself is centred on defilement of a minor, but the prosecution couldn’t prove the age of the victim.
“The Appellant was set up. The Appellant is an actor. He acted in a script that his colleague (PW1), Damilola Adekoya, invited him to act in.
“(PW1)Damilola Adekoya asked the Appellant to come and act a script. In the statement of PW1, at Panti Police Station, unknown to the appellant, there was a CCTV in the sitting room.
“Whatever we watched in that movie was a script by the producer, and the prosecution tendered the video of the acting scene. Based on his confessional statement as at the day of the arrest, he was under duress, and so many people were beating him that was when he confessed to the offence.”
However, Babajide Martins, the Director of Public Prosecution, prayed the court to dismiss the appeal, citing its lack of merit and a misconception.
Mr Martins urged the court to affirm the judgment of the lower court.
He further submitted that the victim was 17 years old when the incident occurred.
After listening to the lawyers’ arguments, the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal reserved judgment on the appeal until later.
Justice Folasade Ojo led the three-person panel of the appellate court.
Justice Abdullahi Bayero and Justice Paul Bassi were the two other panel members.
Baba Ijesha was arrested on 22 April 2021 and subsequently released on 17 May 2021 on health issues.
On 16 June 2021, this newspaper reported that Baba Ijesha was arraigned in a magistrate court in Yaba, Lagos State, on charges related to rape, segxwal assault, and abuse of a minor.
The five charges against the actor include indecent treatment of a child, defilement of a child, segxwal assault by penetration, attempted segxwal assault by penetration, and segxwal assault.
These offences violate sections 135, 137, 261, 262, and 263 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015.
The actor pleaded not guilty to all charges against him before he was sentenced.
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