No evidence that Baba Ijesha raped minors

Actor Yomi Fabiyi has maintained his support for his troubled colleague, Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, despite ongoing legal proceedings over allegations of sexual assault against a minor.

In July 2022, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offenses Court sentenced Baba Ijesha to 16 years imprisonment following his conviction.

He was convicted of four of the six charges: indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.

In a recent update on the case, Fabiyi claimed that there was no evidence that Baba Ijesha engaged in sexual activity with the girl, which he said was the reason why the judge did not sentence him to life imprisonment.

Fabiyi, in a recent interview on Lagelu FM in Ibadan, Oyo State, stated that the appeal against Baba Ijesha was still ongoing in court.

He reiterated that popular comedian Adekola Adekanya aka Princess invited Baba Ijesha to do a skit.

“The appeal against Baba Ijesha is still ongoing in court. There was no evidence that he had slept with the girl; That is why the judge did not sentence him to life imprisonment,” he said in Yoruba.

He also mentioned that the aspect currently being considered by the Court of Appeal is that the person who allegedly had sexual relations with the girl is currently at large.

“He was called by Princess to do a skit and the girl also said in court that she was called to do a skit.

“Why was the person who actually slept with the girl whose sperm was found asked to go free? Because they were caught together,” he added.

Fabiyi claimed that the victim accused a man of sleeping with her.

He claimed that the man was not only confronted with the allegations, but also confessed to them and was subsequently arrested.

He expressed confusion as to why the man was walking free while Baba Ijesha was imprisoned.

He also claimed that the victim was not a minor.

“The girl is not 14 years old. Her birth certificate was never produced. We are waiting for the appeal court’s ruling,” he said.

Fabiyi has been a staunch supporter of Baba Ijesha since his conviction.

A television video that went viral in 2021 showed Baba Ijesha engaging in inappropriate behavior, including kissing and fondling the victim who was in Princess’s care.

The Lagos State Attorney General’s Office, which is responsible for bringing charges against the actor, argued that his actions violated various sections of the Lagos State Penal Code 2015, including Sections 135, 137, 261, 202, 262 and 263, that are potentially life-threatening, including prison sentences.

Baba Ijesha pleaded not guilty to all counts.

In handing down the verdict, Justice Taiwo noted that the prosecution had not adequately and beyond reasonable doubt proven that the defendant was guilty of all the charges against him.

However, she found the defendant guilty on four of the six counts.

Baba Ijesha was convicted on counts two, three, four and five.

Recently, in April 2024, Baba Ijesha applied to the Lagos Divisional Court of Appeal to quash his conviction.