Olanrewaju James, better known as Baba Ijesha in the Yoruba Nollywood industry, has taken his case to the Lagos Division of the Appeal Court in a bid to appeal the five-year prison sentence he received.
In his appeal, Baba Ijesha requested the court to overturn his conviction by the Lagos State High Court on charges of sexual assault against a minor.
The sentence was handed down on July 12, 2022, by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo (retd.) of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court.
Feeling dissatisfied with the outcome, Baba Ijesha decided to challenge the court’s decision at the Appeal Court.
Speaking through his lawyer, Kayode Olabiran, Baba Ijesha claimed that he was framed and merely following a script that he was asked to perform by a fellow actor.
“The appellant was a victim of a setup. Being an actor, he was simply delivering a performance in line with a script requested by his colleague (PW1), Damilola Adekoya,” stated Olabiran.
On the other hand, the Director of Public Prosecution, Babajide Martins, urged the court to reject the appeal, citing lack of merit and a misunderstanding in the case.
Martins insisted that the lower court’s ruling should be upheld.