Embattled Nigerian Nollywood actor Olarenwaju James recognized as Baba Ijesha has been found culpable of sexually assaulting a minor.
Baba Ijesha has been in a digressive legal trial after he was said to have sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl.
The actor was arraigned on the 24th of June 2021.
During the prosecution, six prosecution witnesses testified against him.
They are comedienne Princess, the 14-year-old minor, Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a child expert; Aniekan Makanjuola, a medical doctor; Wahab Kareem, the investigating police officer; and Abigail Omane, a policewoman.
The judge at Ikeja special offences court Oluwatoyin Taiwo passed sentence on Baba Ijesha of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, and endeavored sexual assault in a two-hour judgment.
Taiwo, however, released and acquitted him of count one and count six, which were: sexual assault by penetration and attempted sexual assault by penetration.
He’s facing a six-count charge of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration, and sexual assault by penetration.
The charges were put forward against him by the Lagos state directorate of public prosecutions (DPP).
The offences contravene Section 135, 137, 261, 202, 262 and 263 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015, which stipulates life imprisonment for offenders. The actor renounced the allegations.
A CCTV video recording clarifying his relationship with the victim said to be a minor was played in court.
Conveying the judgment, Justice Taiwo said that the prosecution failed to prove beyond acceptable doubt that the defendant is guilty of all the charges against him.
However, she found the defendant guilty of two of the six counts against him.