Popular Yoruba Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James, also known as Baba Ijesha, has filed an appeal against his five-year jail sentence at the Lagos Division of the Appeal Court.
Baba Ijesha is challenging his conviction by a Lagos State High Court for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor, urging the Appeal Court to overturn the judgment.
The actor was convicted on July 12, 2022, by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo (retd.) of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court following accusations of sexual assault against a minor.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the verdict, Baba Ijesha has taken his case to the Appeal Court, seeking to contest the length of his sentence.
In his defense, Baba Ijesha’s counsel, Kayode Olabiran, argued before the Appeal Court on Tuesday, asserting that his client was framed and merely acted according to a script he was invited to perform by a colleague.
“The appellant was set up. The appellant is an actor. He acted in a script that he was invited to act by his colleague (PW1), Damilola Adekoya,” Olabiran stated.
However, the Director of Public Prosecution, Babajide Martins, countered the defense’s argument, urging the court to dismiss the appeal on the grounds of lacking merit and being based on misconceptions. Martins further urged the court to uphold the judgment of the lower court.
