An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Thursday convicted actor Olanrewaju James aka Baba Ijesha of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
The minor is the foster daughter of comedienne Damilola Adekoya alias Princess.
In a two-hour judgment, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo convicted Baba Ijesha of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault and attempted sexual assault.
Justice Taiwo, however, discharged and acquitted him of count one and count six, which were sexual assault by penetration and attempted sexual assault by penetration.
During trial, Baba Ijesha told the court that Princess was his former lover and that his romance with her foster daughter was scripted.
Baba Ijesha further said on April 19, 2021, Princess messaged him that she wanted to start a production, a Lagos State project on rape, and she would like him to play the role of a lover boy.
Baba Ijesha said: “Princess told me to kiss and suck the breast of the child, adding that the dress the girl was wearing was purposely for the role the girl wanted to play.
“She would leave the room so that the child would not be shy to play out the role.
“All those things we are seeing in that video is just acting. My lord check my record when it comes to acting, I can kill myself and die for acting. She was the one directing and filming my angles.”
A defence witness and expert in CCTV installation and maintenance, Adeleke Lawrence, also told the court that CCTV footages presented by the prosecution were tampered with.
Two video recordings of Baba Ijesha were played in court.
The first video showed the actor sitting on a sofa with a minor.
Meanwhile, Comedienne Damilola Adekoya alias Princess took to Instagram to celebrate the conviction of actor Olanrewaju James aka Baba Ijesha for sexual assault.
Shortly after the court’s verdict, Princess shared a TikTok video of herself on Instagram which she captioned “God is not man”.
In the video, she urges the public with a Yoruba song to celebrate with her as that which wanted to put her to shame has been put to shame.
Princess further says through the lyrics of the song that she knows all that people have said against her but she is grateful that she has been vindicated.