Yoruba Actor, Baba Ijesha, appeals conviction for child s3xual assault, claims it was a script

Disgraced Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, better known by his stage name Baba Ijesha, on Tuesday, filed an appeal against his 16-year prison sentence for s3xually assaulting a minor.

Baba Ijesha was convicted in July 2022 by an Ikeja Special Offences Court on four out of six charges, including indecent treatment of a child and s3xual assault. The case garnered significant national attention, sparking debates within the Nigerian entertainment industry.

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo (retd.) of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, on July 14, 2022, sentenced Baba Ijesha to five years imprisonment over the sexual assault of a minor.

But dissatisfied with the judgment, Baba Ijesha approached the appeal court to challenge his five-year jail term.

Baba Ijesha through his counsel Kayode Olabiran on Tuesday, told the appeal court that his client was set up and that he acted according to a script that he was invited to act on by his colleague.

“The Appellant was set up. The Appellant is an actor. He acted in a script that he was invited to act by his colleague (PW1), Damilola Adekoya,” he said.

But the Director of Public Prosecution, Dr Babajide Martins, urged the court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit and also a misconception.

He urged the court to affirm the judgment of the lower court.

Previously, actor Yomi Fabiyi had hinted at the possibility of an appeal, suggesting Baba Ijesha would “exhaust all limits” to challenge the ruling.

The court previously denied Baba Ijesha bail pending appeal in September 2022. He remains incarcerated at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri, Lagos.

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