Alleged Sexual Assault: Baba Ijesha Knows Fate Today
Wale Igbintade
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos State, will today deliver judgement in a suit filed against embattled Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, over allegations of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child, filed against him by the state government.
Baba Ijesha was arraigned before the court on a six-count charge of indecent treatment of a child, defilement of a child, sexual assault by penetration, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault.
However, he had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo had adjourned the case for judgment after the prosecution and defence counsel adopted their final written addresses.
During the court sittings, the defence counsel, Mr. Dada Awosika (SAN), urged the court not to ascribe any importance to exhibit A, which is a CCTV footage tendered by the persecution.
He asked the court to dismiss and reject the evidence on the grounds that it had been tampered with.
The counsel argued that: “The original CCTV footage has been tampered with by the maker, Princess, and according to experts, was not tendered as exhibit in the original form.”
He stated: “Exhibit A was illegally obtained as the defendant was invited because of an incident that happened seven years ago without any report made to the police.
“It is our submission that the age of the alleged victim is an issue and the court is bound to call the biological mother of the victim who is alive to determine the age of the victim either by birth certificate, through the biological mother or scientifically to determine her age because it was not specified.”
But the Lagos State Director of Prosecution, Dr. Babajide Martins, on his part, told the court that the testimonies of the seven prosecution witnesses cannot be thrown away.
Martins said: “During cross-examination of the CCTV expert, Lawrence Ayeni, he confirmed that CCTV footage cannot be manipulated or tampered with.
He urged the court to accept the testimonies of the experts who gave their best to help resolve the case.
“Written addresses cannot be substituted to live testimonies of experts given in the court, and so we urge the court to sentence the defendant as charged.
“The defendant admitted to having been with the girl in both the incident that happened seven years ago and the one that happened in 2021. He also admitted to having sucked her fingers during the cross-examination,” he added
Baba Ijesa was accused of allegedly sexually molesting an adopted daughter of one of his female colleagues, Damilola Adekoya, also known as Princess.
