Popular Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James Omiyinka alias Baba Ijesha has been accused of defilement of another girl.
Her names are withheld.
This revelation was made at the continuation of trial when a Policeman, ASP Wahab Kareem, told Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja on Friday.
The policeman who testified said this latest charge against the defendant was brought to the authiurites’ notice during investigation into the initial case of the foster daughter of actress and comedienne Ms Damilola Adekoya alias Princess.
According to the fifth prosecution witness attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Yaba, Lagos, said while being led in evidence by the state prosecutor, Mr Yusuf Sule, Kareem said “during our investigations, another girl (name withheld) came forward that the defendant assaulted her when she was 12 years old.
“We interviewed her and the defendant behind the counter and he vehemently denied the allegations.
“The girl said the incident occured at Agah area of Ikorodu and we told a representative of the defendant to follow us to the house and we met the landlord.
“The landlord showed us an apartment and said this is where Baba Ijesha used to stay meanwhile the defendant had denied living in that area.”
Hence, the court has admitted the statement of Baba Ijesha’s former landlord, Alhaji Jameel and his statement at SCID Yaba was admitted as evidence.
Also, a visual recording of Baba Ijesha at the SCID admitting to sexually assaulting the foster daughter of actress and Ms. Adekoya was played in court.
“I harassed her, I touched her hand and I licked her hand,” said the defendant in the clip.
Kareem during the proceeding disclosed that he was asked to take over the investigation of the case from a different team due to complaints from the minor’s foster mother.
In his words, “I was asked to take over the matter from Team A because the complainant (Princess) has complained about the closeness between the defendant and members of Team A.
“After the conclusion of investigations, I transferred the file to the Directorate of Public Prosecution for legal advice.”
When the police officer was cross-examined by Mr Babatunde Ogala, SAN, he said that he never visited the crime scene and that the other minor accusing the defendant of defilement was brought to the police by Princess.
Speaking further, he said the statement of the defendant’s former landlord was recorded in the landlord’s premises and not the police station but the statement was taken to his superior, CSP Margaret Ighodalo.
When asked to show where his superior countersigned the landlord’s statement as required by law, Kareem said the landlord’s statement was not countersigned.
The policeman however admitted that a lawyer was not present when the Nollywood actor gave his initial statement to the police at the SCID and that Baba Ijesha was not taken to Ikorodu to counter the other claims of defilement due to security reasons.
Citing the reason, “The defendant was the one who asked his brother to take us to Ikorodu. We did not take him there because of security reasons he was all over the news, television and radio.
“He could have been hijacked from us and that is why we told him to nominate someone and he nominated his brother to go with us,” the policeman said.
The trial judge, Justice Taiwo adjourned the case until November 12 for continuation of trial.
