A police officer, Wahab Kareem, has informed the Ikeja Special Offences Court that embattled Nollywood actor, James Olanrewaju, aka “Baba Ijesha”, was facing another allegation of defilement.
The officer, attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, Lagos, testified on Friday as the fifth prosecution witness in the trial of the actor over the defilement of a minor.
He said, “During our investigation, another girl (name withheld) came forward and said the defendant assaulted her when she was 12 years old.
“We interviewed her and the defendant behind the counter and he vehemently denied the allegation.
“The girl said the incident occurred at Agah area of Ikorodu, and we told a representative of the defendant to follow us to the house and we met the landlord.
“The landlord showed us an apartment and said, “This is where Baba Ijesha used to live.”
“Meanwhile, Baba Ijesha had earlier denied living in that area.”
Following this, the statement of James’s former landlord, Alhaji Jameel, and the defendant’s statement at the SCID we’re reportedly admitted in evidence.
During proceedings, a video recording of James at the SCID admitting to sexually assaulting the foster daughter comedienne, Damilola Adekoya alias Princess, was played.
“I harassed her, I touched her hand and I licked her hand,” Baba Ijesha said in the clip.”
The police officer further testified that he was asked to take over the investigation of the case from a team due to complaints from Adekoya.
“I was asked to take over the matter from Team A because the complainant (Princess) had complained about the closeness between the defendant and members of Team A.
“After the conclusion of the investigation, I transferred the file to the Directorate of Public Prosecution for legal advice,” he said.
While being cross-examined by Babatunde Ogala, Kareem said that he never visited the crime scene, adding that the other minor who also accused the defendant of defilement was brought to the police by Adekoya.
He said that the statement of the defendant’s former landlord was recorded at the landlord’s residence and not at a police station.
He, however, said the statements recorded were taken to his superior, Margaret Ighodalo.
When asked to show where his superior countersigned the landlord’s statement as required by law, the witness said the landlord’s statement was not countersigned.
He further testified that a lawyer was not present when James made his initial statement to the police at the SCID.
He added that James was not taken to Ikorodu to counter the other claim of defilement due to security reasons.
“The defendant was the one who asked his brother to take us to Ikorodu. We did not take him there because of security reasons; his name was all over the news on televisions and radios.
“He could have been hijacked from us; that is why we told him to nominate someone and he nominated his brother to go with us,” Kareem said.
Baba Ijesha was charged on six-count charges of sexual assault by penetration, indecent treatment of a child, and sexual assault, which contravene sections 259, 135, and 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011, as well as 135, 263, and 262 Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
