An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Thursday convicted actor Olanrewaju James aka Baba Ijesha of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
The minor is 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, however, discharged and acquitted him 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.
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.
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.”
A defence witness and expert in CCTV installation and maintenance, Adeleke Lawrence, also told the court that CCTV footages presented by the prosecution were tampered with.
Two video recordings of Baba Ijesha were played in court.
The first video showed the actor sitting on a sofa with a minor.
Two men and a woman walked out in the recording, which had no audio.
Speaking on the content of the footage, the witness said: “The gentleman and the lady appeared to be acting the way they were asked to do.”
