Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha has closed his defence before the Lagos State Special Offences Court after calling his last witness in his ongoing trial over allegations of sexually assaulting a minor.
Baba Ijesha was arraigned before the court by the Lagos State government 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.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on Friday, his lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dada Awosika told Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo that the fourth defence witness, Olukayode Ogunbanjo, was his client’s last witness in the matter.
Awosika, therefore, urged the court to fix a date to allow parties in the matter to adopt their final written addresses.
The witness, Ogunbanjo, who goes by the alias, ‘Pastor Jerosi’, had earlier in his testimony told the court that Baba Ijesha and the minor’s foster mother, Damilola Adekoya, alias Princess, were in a relationship.
Ogunbanjo, who was led in evidence by one of the defence counsel, Kayode Olabiran, testified that he had worked with Baba Ijesha for over 15 years in the entertainment industry.
The witness, an actor and a comedian, told the court that Baba Ijesha was his friend and a colleague.
He revealed that Baba Ijesha got in contact with Princess during one of the shows he anchored called “Orison”.
“We were about five people that used to do the show together. On that day, while the show was going on, Princess called on the hotline that she wanted to join our programme.
“There was a day she called Baba Ijesha that he should come over to her place in Iwaya. I drove the car to her house in Iwaya.
“When we got there, Ijesha prostrated to her mother and the woman said ‘take good care of my daughter’.
“Baba Ijesha at that point revealed to me that he was dating Princess but she was taking the relationship too far,” the witness said.
During cross-examination by the prosecution counsel, Yusuf Sule, the witness, admitted that he did not have any knowledge of what transpired inside the Princess’ house.
Sule asked, “on April 19, 2021, I will be correct to say that you were not at No. 13 Wellbow St., Iwaya, as a result, you do not know what transpired inside Princess’s house?”
“On April 19, 2021, I did not know what transpired inside the house as I was in Aguda in Surulere.
“All I know is what I have said. I was not inside the house. I do not have any knowledge of what happened in the house,” Ogunbanjo responded.
Justice Taiwo adjourned the matter to June 6 for the adoption of final written addresses.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
