An Ikeja Sexual Offences Court has granted N2 million bail to Nollywood actor Omiyinka Olanrewaju aka Baba Ijesha following his arraignment for alleged sexual defilement of a minor.
Justice Toyin Taiwo granted him bail on Thursday after taking submissions from prosecution and defence in the matter.
The judge ordered that one of the sureties must be a blood relative of the defendant and the other, a lawyer.
The actor has been in custody since his arrest on April 22, 2021.
Baba Ijesha pleaded not guilty to six count charges which include indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.
The alleged offences contravene Sections 135, 259, 262, 263 and 262 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Earlier, Lagos State director of public prosecution (DPP) Olayinka Adeyemi requested that the defendant should be remanded by the court.
But in a bail application supported by a 29-paragraph affidavit, lead defence counsel Dada Awosika prayed the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms.
He said, “I will wish to note that the issue of bail, especially on an offence of this nature, is a constitutional right.
“This is a right the defendant has been deprived of for the past 48 days when he was unlawfully held by the police.
“We are also not unconscious of the JUSUN strike which made it difficult to bring him to court.”
