The embattled Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, has been sentenced to 16 years imprisonment over allegations of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a minor.
Presiding Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court, in a two-hour judgement convicted Baba Ijesha of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault and attempted sexual assault.
Taiwo, however, discharged and acquitted him of count one and count six, which were: sexual assault by penetration and attempted sexual assault by penetration.
Baba Ijesha faced six counts of child defilement that include indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.
The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions, which proffered the charges against the actor, argued that the offences contravene Section 135, 137, 261, 202, 262 and 263 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015, which stipulates life imprisonment for offenders.
However, Baba Ijesha pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
Meanwhile, the judgment is coming after over a year of his arrest and prosecution.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Taiwo said that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubts, that the defendant was guilty of all the charges preferred against him.
However, she found the defendant guilty of two of the six counts against him.
The defendant was arraigned on June 24, 2021. During the trial, six prosecution witnesses testified against him.
They were actress and comedienne, Princess, the 14-year-old minor, a child expert, Mrs Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, and medical doctor, Dr Aniekan Makanjuola.
Others were the Investigating Police Officer, ASP Wahab Kareem and a policewoman, Inspector Abigail Omane.
The DPP closed its case against the defendant on Dec. 15, 2021 while Baba Ijesha called four witnesses and closed its defence on April 1.
The defence witnesses were Baba Ijesha (defendant) and Mr Lawrence Ayeni.
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