An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Thursday sentenced actor Olanrewaju James aka Baba Ijesha to 16 years imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, the foster daughter of comedienne Damilola Adekoya alias Princess.
In a two-hour judgement, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo convicted Baba Ijesha of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault and attempted sexual assault.
Justice Taiwo said that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of all six charges against him.
Baba Ijesha was discharged and acquitted of count one and count six, which were sexual assault by penetration and attempted sexual assault by penetration.
During trial, Baba Ijesha told the court that Princess was his former lover and that his romance with her foster daughter was scripted.
Led in evidence by defence counsel, Dada Awosika (SAN), Baba Ijesha described the nature of the relationship he allegedly had with Princess.
“We were dating, my lord; she always slept in my room. We slept together, I touched her, she touched me, she kissed me and I kissed her,” he said.
Baba Ijesha further said that on April 19, 2021, Princess messaged him that she wanted to start a production, a Lagos State project on rape, and she would like him to play the role of a lover boy.
The defence counsel tendered before the court, a printout of WhatsApps messages between Princess and the defendant, which was admitted into evidence by Justice Taiwo.
Baba Ijesha said: “Princess told me to kiss and suck the breast of the child, adding that the dress the girl was wearing was purposely for the role the girl wanted to play.
“She would leave the room so that the child would not be shy to play out the role.
“All those things we are seeing in that video is just acting. My lord check my record when it comes to acting, I can kill myself and die for acting. She was the one directing and filming my angles.”
The actor said that all of a sudden about eight people including Princess entered the room, started attacking him and the girl and alleging that he raped her.
Baba Ijesha said that he was forced in one of the viral videos by Princess to admit that he defiled the minor.
