Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, has been granted bail on health grounds after he was arrested for allegedly molesting a 14-year-old girl, who happens to be the foster daughter of Popular comedian, Princess.
KanyiDaily recalls that Baba Ijesha, a 48-year-old Yoruba actor, was arrested on April 22, for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old girl since the past 7 years.
The Lagos State Police Command had earlier said that Baba Ijesha would not be released from detention until the judicial workers suspend its nationwide strike.
However, in a live broadcast on his Facebook page on Monday night, May 17, Adeshina Ogulana, the counsel to the film star, confirmed that his client has been granted bail based on health grounds after nearly a month in police detention.
Ogunlana said Baba Ijesha was granted N500,000 bail when the magistrates in charge of prison decongestion. went around police stations across the state, hearing cases of some suspects.
The lawyer also emphasised that the embattled actor was yet to be released because his team was working to meet the bail conditions.
“Our client, Olanrewaju James Omiyinka popularly known as Baba Ijesha, who has been in detention for more than 30 days has been granted bail at the facility of his detention.
“The chief Magistrate Toyin Oghre of the Lagos state judiciary and the chief magistrate in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and in partnership with a private organisation led by a former NBA, Bayo Akinlade, Ikorodu (branch) visited Panti this afternoon, under the decongestion scheme.
“They met Baba Ijesha. And the chief magistrate being very bold and experienced noticed something curious. Baba Ijesha’s name was not even on the list of those whose case(s) would be intervened (sic), the chief magistrate demanded to see him, and as we have said before, bail was granted to him, when he was brought before them, he was limping, and bail was granted to him because of his deteriorating health condition.”
He said the conditions of his bail including bringing two sureties “with one being his relative and an N500,000 bond bail”.
“The idea of mob lynching, the idea of ‘loop sided’ actions when it comes to rights of fellow citizens must be decried. On behalf of the counsels in this matter, I want to appreciate the chief magistrate,” he said.
The Attorney-General of Lagos and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, recently revealed that the actor would be tried under five provisions of the criminal law of Lagos State based on the advice given by the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).
KanyiDaily recalls that in a viral video, Princess had narrated how she caught Baba Ijesha on CCTV camera molesting her 14-year-old foster child, after the girl opened up to her what the actor did to her seven years ago.
In the viral video, the 48-year-old actor can be seen kissing licking and sucking the fingers of his victim before he started caressing the minor’s legs and thighs.
This comes after Baba Ijesha was seen in another viral video confessing and begging for forgiveness after CCTV caught him molesting the 14-year-old girl.
