The Lagos Court of Appeal has upheld the five-year prison sentence of Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, known as Baba Ijesha, for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
This decision affirms a previous ruling by the Lagos State High Court.
Advertorial
The appellate panel, led by Justice Folashade Ojo, with Justices Abdullahi Bayero and Paul Bassi concurring, found Baba Ijesha guilty on two counts related to indecently touching and sexually assaulting the minor.
Originally, the Lagos State Government charged him with several offenses, including attempted sexual assault by penetration.
Advertorial
In July 2022, the trial judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo (now retired), sentenced him to five years for sexual assault, stating that the offenses occurred between 2013 and 2014.
Baba Ijesha’s defense argued that he had merely acted in a scripted scene, but the appellate court dismissed this claim.
Justice Ojo emphasized that the evidence presented, including a confession and an eyewitness account from Damilola Adekoya (PW1), corroborated the charges.
The court noted that these interactions were not theatrical performances but real incidents.
The judgment confirmed that on April 19, 2021, Baba Ijesha committed sexual assault against the victim, who was 15 at the time, as supported by her testimony and the evidence from the proceedings.
The court maintained that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt regarding the events of that day.
As a result, the court set aside some previous convictions but upheld the sentences for the offenses that occurred on April 19, 2021, with the sentences to run concurrently.
