Gift Andrew
High court for Lagos state Nigeria no gree grant bail to convicted Nigerian actor Olanrewaju James aka Baba Ijesha.
For July 2022, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo court bin sentence di actor to five years imprisonment say e defile a minor.
But for early September, im lawyer Olabiron Joel approach di court to grant di actor suspended prison sentence pending wen Appeal court go hear im appeal.
Di lawyer say dem don appeal di conviction and sentencing before appeal court but di court never fix date to hear di appeal.
Section 6 of di amended 1999 constitution of Nigeria tok say pesin fit get bail afta conviction and sentencing if im appeal di case, say di judge fit grant di bail based on her discretion.
Section 51 of di Administration of Criminal Justice Law ACJL of Lagos state 2015 empower courts to admit any pesin to bail either unconditionally or based on reasonable conditions.
But wen di mata come up in court on Wednesday evening, Justice Taiwo say though she get di discretional power to grant bail, di court go decline di bail application.
E mean say di actor go continue to serve im jail term till wen Appeal court go hear im appeal.
Court bin convict – find Baba Ijesha guilty – on four out of six count charges wey Lagos state goment sama am.
Aside defilement of a minor, oda charges court bin convict am on na indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault and attempted sexual assault by penetration.
Baba Ijesha case judgement
Di presiding judge bin begin with summary of di arguments on Baba Ijesha case.
Defence lawyer, Dada Awosika [SAN] and Prosecutor counsel, Prince A Olabiran and dia team for lawyers bin don dey argue di mata for months.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo say although di case don attract plenty media attention, di court must look for proves of di offence beyond reasonable doubt.
Baba Ijesha face six count of sexual assault of one 15-year-old girl.
Di charges include, indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault by penetration, attempted sexual.
According to di prosecutor, Baba Ijesha bin don assault di girl seven years ago.
Di goment lawyers argue say e happun wen she bin dey seven years old.
Dat time, di actor put im car key inside her private part, di prosecution counsel tell di court.
But di defence lawyer Prince Olabiran bin beg di court to consider say di defendant Baba Ijesha na first offender.
E also ask di court to consider di fact say di defender na actor wey don impact seriously for society sake of im career.
E add say di defendant get old parents and im son wey still dey depend on am.
E describe am as a “very changed pesin”.
Olabiran ask court to consider di least sentence.
Baba Ijesha, as part of in defence, bin say im bin go dey act script wit di minor.
Di Nollywood actor admit to di court say im bin no know say CCTV camera bin dey inside di house on dat day.
But di judge overrule, say di accused no dey act anytin as no actor, no camera, no lighting or anything to show say dem dey act.
Di defence bin present four witnesses while di prosecutor present seven witnesses.
