Yoruba Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, also known as Baba Ijesha, has lodged an appeal against his five-year jail sentence at the Lagos Division of the Appeal Court.
He is challenging his conviction by a Lagos State High Court for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor.
Baba Ijesha is requesting the Appeal Court to overturn the decision made by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo (retd.) of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, who sentenced him to five years in prison on July 12, 2022.
In his appeal, Baba Ijesha’s legal representative, Kayode Olabiran, argued that his client was framed and was simply following a scripted scenario that he had been asked to act out by a fellow actor.
“The appellant was set up. The appellant is an actor. He acted in a script that he was invited to act by his colleague (PW1), Damilola Adekoya,” he said.
However, the Director of Public Prosecution, Babajide Martins, has urged the court to reject the appeal, citing lack of merit and a misunderstanding of the case. He is urging the court to uphold the original verdict issued by the lower court.
