Court defers judgement in Baba Ijesha’s appeal against conviction

The Court of Appeal in Lagos State has deferred its decision in an appeal filed by Nollywood star, Olanrewaju James, also known as Baba Ijesha, against his conviction by an Ikeja High Court for the sexual assault of a juvenile.

The three-member appellate court panel, chaired by Justice Folasade Ojo, reserved the appeal for decision, after hearing the arguments from the respondent and the appellant. Other members of the panel are Justice Abdullahi Bayero and Justice Paul Bassi.

The Nollywood star asked the appellate court to set aside the lower court’s decision in his notice of appeal.

Olanrewaju’s attorney, Kayode Olabiran, informed the court during the appeal hearing yesterday that the appeal was filed on June 1, 2023.

He maintained that the prosecution was unable to provide evidence of his sexual assault of the victim.

Olabiran said: “The charge itself is centred on defilement of a minor but the prosecution couldn’t prove the victim’s age. The appellant was set up. The appellant is an actor. He acted in a script that he was invited to act on by his colleague (PW1), Damilola Adekoya a.k.a Princess.

“Damilola Adekoya asked the appellant to come and act a script. It is in the statement of PW1, at Panti Police Station, unknowingly to the appellant there was a CCTV in the sitting room.

Whatever we watched in that movie was a script by the producer and the video of the scene of the acting was tendered by the prosecution.

“Based on his confessional statement as at the day of the arrest, he was under duress and there were so many people beating him, and so he confessed to the offence.”

Nonetheless, Olabiran pleaded with the court to grant the appeal and overturn the lower court’s ruling.


The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Babajide Martins, pleaded with the court to reject the appeal because it was without merit. He maintained that the appellant’s appeal was based on a false impression.

Martins further urged the court to uphold the July 14, 2022, ruling of the lower court, which found Baba Ijesha guilty of both sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child.

Regarding the victim’s age, Martin stated that the victim stated she was 14 years old in 2013, the year the offence was committed, having been born on October 6, 2006.

“At the time she gave evidence in 2021, she was 17 years old, which still makes her a child,” he argued.

Baba Ijesha was sentenced to five years in jail on July 14, 2022, by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo (rtd) of an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court for the sexual assault of a minor.

After the actor was found guilty on four of the six counts that the Lagos State government had brought against him, Justice Toyin convicted and sentenced him.