A 14-year-old girl has narrated how Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, allegedly defiled her while watching cartoon.
KanyiDaily recalls that Baba Ijesha is facing charges on six counts of child defilement, at Ikeja Special Offences Court for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old girl since when she was 7 years.
During the trial today, October 20, the court played a tape recording of the alleged victim’s interview with child rights advocate, Bisi Ajayi Kayode.
In the video played in court, the alleged victim narrated how Baba Ijesha allegedly assaulted her when she was just 7 years old, and how he tried again recently after she turned 14.
She said that the first incident happened 7 years ago when Baba Ijesha visited the house where she was staying with her guardian, comedienne Oluwadamilola Adekoya, better known as Princess.
According to her, Baba Ijesha brought out his penis and asked her to sit on his lap. She did as he requested while she was engrossed in the cartoon she was watching on television until she felt something wet on her body.
She said in the video played in court: “I didn’t make a sound after seeing his private part. I sat on his laps myself and removed my pant because of my concentration on the cartoon I was watching.”
Using a doll to demonstrate how she sat on Baba Ijesha’s lap, the girl said: “I sat in front of the television trying to watch cartoon. Baba Ijesha told me to come and sit on his lap and so I did. Then he removed his private part and told me to sit on him.”
She said she soon felt something wet and then went into the bathroom to clean herself up with a towel. She said Baba Ijesha didn’t say anything afterward.
She claimed that Baba Ijesha returned again the following day with some fruits for her foster mother and she was asked to pick up the fruits from his car.
“The car was parked at a T-junction and there was a wall and a gutter there and no one was on the other side. The fruits were on the back seat and he opened the door in front and asked me to take the fruits.
“When I stretched to pick the fruits from the back seat, he inserted his car key into my private part while trying to kiss me. When he inserted the car key, I felt some type of way. After this incident, I did not see him again until seven years later,” she alleged.
The minor in the interview said when Baba Ijesha came to their house when she was 14 years, he initially acted like he was having a phone conversation and then he began checking the apartment to know whether anyone was home before he approached her.
She said, “He said you’re a smart young girl, my baby. Do you have a boyfriend? I said no and he said since you do not have a boyfriend now that you’re much more mature, you’re now mine, I am your boyfriend.
“He said I used to teach you some things when you were small. I asked him what things so that I could record him with my phone.
“My phone was under the throw pillow because I thought he wanted to confess to what he did seven-years ago but I was unable to record him.
“He said don’t you remember, me and you used to play together, I used to teach you some things when you were small. Me and you had a contract and I asked him what contract?
“He asked me to sit on his legs and I said no and he said you that when you were small you were not afraid. Now you’re afraid.”
The girl said that she eventually told her foster mother about the incident on April 17, 2021, and on April 19, CCTV was set up to get evidence in order to charge Baba Ijesha to court.
The child gave a demonstration of how the molestation happened to the observation of Mrs. Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a child expert and the Executive Director of the Cece Yara Foundation.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case until Oct. 21 for the continuation of trial.
This comes a few weeks after A forensic expert, Mrs Anike Ajayi-Kayode revealed that the clinical report on the minor showed Baba Ijesha allegedly engaged the child in sexual activities when she was 7 on two occasions and on one occasion inserted his car key into her vagina.
