A popular actor, Olanrewaju James popularly known as Baba Ijesha, who was jailed for 16 years for injuring children, spent a year in prison at the best prison in Kirikiri, Lagos State.
He was convicted of the crime on July 14, 2022 and sentenced to 16 years in prison on four of the six counts – child abuse, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault and sexual harassment – charged against him.
Recall that James was arrested on April 22, 2021 and appeared before Magistrate PE Nwaka of the Yaba Magistrates Court in Yaba, Lagos on July 16, 2021.
The actor was arraigned before a special court on violence in Ikeja, before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, who later ruled. In reading the verdict, he said: ‘I pray here that the accused in charges two to five, he was acquitted in charges one and six.
The accused herein was sentenced to five years imprisonment for the second count, three years for the third count, five years for the fourth count and three years for the fifth count. Β»
The case has generated attention and controversy. He also “divided” the entertainment industry as some celebrities supported the comedian, Princess Adekoya, whose sector is corrupt; while some have mercy on Baba Ijesha.
Some people who sympathized with Baba Ijesha’s plight are Yomi Fabiyi, Bukky Black and Lege Miami. For his part, Fabiyi insisted that the actor was “hidden” in the crime.
On the other hand, actresses, like Iyabo Ojo Nkechi Blessing, have supported Princess. In an interview with our reporter during the week, Fabiyi said, “First of all, it is difficult for me to deny that I do not know him. My non-governmental organization decided to hear his side, do a little research of our own, and what we found out required us to give it a voice, because it seems to be ‘hidden in the evil’. “There are many questions that need answers, as we can see at the end of the case, so appeal.”
Affirming that he has been in contact with the actor since his imprisonment, Fabiyi said, “My first visit started on the second day of his imprisonment. I always talk to him in prison.
He added: βI don’t have shoes, but I am doing my best to keep his spirit strong and make him not think about killing himself or blood feud. When his father died (May 13, 2023), it was a difficult time.
βHowever, he is still upset that the girl’s age has not been shown in the birth certificate. The absence of certain things before his trial gives him great mental pain. He feels that he has been wrongly punished.
Many times during the trial, when Baba Ijesha appeared in the court, he seemed to be angry and depressed.
One day, he was seen carrying a Christian book titled “How to Move Forward in Dangerous Times: Living Beyond the World System”, written by Happy Caldwell.
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