The Lagos State government has closed its case against actor Olanrewaju James aka Baba Ijesha, who is facing trial at an Ikeja Special Offences Court over allegations of defilement.
Baba Ijesha is facing a six-count charge bordering on allegations of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.
He has pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge.
Olayinka Adeyemi, Director, Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), on Wednesday said that the case has been closed after the cross-examination of the sixth prosecution witness by the defence.
“The prosecution has closed its case against the defendant,” she said.
Following the DPP’s statement, the defence counsel, Mr Kayode Olabiran, announced to the court that the defence intended to file a no-case submission.
Meanwhile, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo earlier stated that Baba Ijesha’s confessional statement to the police was admissible in evidence.
Qed.ng reported that the judge ordered a trial-within-trial in November, to determine whether his statement was voluntarily obtained. This was after the accused had alleged during the testimony of the police inspector, Abigail Omane, who took his statement upon a report of alleged defilement, that she rough handled him and ordered him to sit on the floor during interrogation.
He added that the complainant, Damilola Adekoya aka Princess allegedly supplied all the information on the statement which the officer wrote and that he was forced to sign it with a threat that he would be further detained if he refused.
In the court’s ruling upon the close of the trial-within-trial on Wednesday, it held that there was no evidence to support the claims of torture or that the defendant signed the statement under duress.
“His claim that Inspector Abigail Promised to let him go early isn’t corroborated, it is her word against his. Sitting on the floor doesn’t vitiate the confessional statement, the document is found to be relevant and admissible.”
After the ruling, the court admitted the statement as part of the exhibits in the trial.
