The Court of Appeal in Lagos has affirmed the five-year prison sentence handed to Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, known as Baba Ijesha, for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old minor. The appellate court’s ruling, delivered on Friday by Justice Folashade Ojo, upheld the decision of the Lagos State High Court, confirming the actor’s guilt on two key charges: indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault.
“The evidence presented demonstrates beyond reasonable doubt that the appellant committed the offences as charged,” Justice Ojo declared. The judgment was unanimously supported by Justices Abdullahi Bayero and Paul Bassi.
Baba Ijesha was initially convicted on July 14, 2022, by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, who sentenced him to five years imprisonment for the sexual assault of the minor, which occurred between 2013 and 2014.
The Court of Appeal dismissed Baba Ijesha’s claim that he was merely acting out a script, asserting that his interactions with the minor on April 19, 2021, were not part of any theatrical performance but were instead a personal and deliberate act. “The appellant’s actions were not a theatrical performance of make-believe but a personal encounter,” Justice Ojo noted.
The appellate court did set aside the previous convictions for incidents that occurred between 2013 and 2014, citing hearsay evidence, but upheld the convictions related to the events of April 19, 2021. Baba Ijesha was found to have indecently touched and molested the minor in an apartment belonging to his colleague, Damilola Adekoya.
In conclusion, Justice Ojo stated, “The prosecution established that the victim of the offence was a child at the time of the alleged offences in 2021. The appellant’s conviction for the indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault is compelling and justified.”
The appeal court ordered the sentences for counts 4 and 5 to run concurrently, maintaining the total sentence of five years.
