An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Thursday convicted actor Olanrewaju James aka Baba Ijesha of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
An Ikeja Special and Sexual Offences court has convicted and sentenced Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka James, alias Baba Ijesha, to 16 years imprisonment for sexual assault of an under age girl.
Delivering the two-hour judgement on Thursday, July 14, the trial judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo found Baba Ijesha guilty of four out of the six offences he stood trial for.
He was convicted for indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault and attempted sexual assault, while the judge discharged and acquitted him of count one and count six, which were sexual assault by penetration and attempted sexual assault by penetration.
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The court ruled that the prosecution could not prove the offences on count one and six.
Read also, Baba Ijesha: More shocking revelations emerge about minor
Indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault, are both contrary to Section 135 of Lagos State Criminal Law 2015 which stipiulates that “Any person who unlawfully and indecently deal with a child commits a felony and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for seven (7) years.
The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions, which proffered the charges against the actor, argued that his offences contravene Section 135, 137, 261, 202, 262 and 263 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015, which stipulates life imprisonment for offenders.
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Baba Ijesha pleaded not guilty to all the counts. However, a Closed-Circuit Television video recording detailing his relationship with the victim said to be a minor was played in court.
Justice Taiwo said that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of all the charges against him, adding that the jail term will run concurrently.