Admin l Sunday, November 07, 2021
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – A policeman attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, Lagos ASP Wahab Kareem has told an Ikeja Special Offences Court that Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James alias “Baba Ijesha” has been fingered in another allegation of child defilement.
Kareem made the disclosure while testifying as the fifth prosecution witness in the case involving the Nollywood actor. Led in evidence by the state prosecutor, Mr Yusuf Sule, the policeman said “during our investigations, another girl came forward that the defendant assaulted her when she was 12-years-old.
“We interviewed her and the defendant behind the counter and he vehemently denied the allegations. 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 where Baba Ijesha used to stay meanwhile the defendant had denied living in that area,” the policeman said.
Following the revelation of the witness, the statement of Baba Ijesha’s former landlord, Alhaji Jameel and his statement at SCID Yaba was admitted as evidence.
During proceedings, a visual recording of Baba Ijesha at the SCID admitting to sexually assaulting the foster daughter of actress and comedienne Ms Damilola Adekoya alias Princess was played in court.
“I harassed her, I touched her hand and I licked her hand,” the defendant said in the clip.
Earlier, Kareem disclosed to the court that he was asked to take over the investigation of the case from a different team due to complaints from the minor’s foster mother.
“I was asked to take over the matter from Team A because the complainant (Princess) has complained about the closeness between the defendant and members of Team A. After the conclusion of investigations, I transferred the file to the Directorate of Public Prosecution for legal advice,” he said.
While being cross-examined by Mr Babatunde Ogala (SAN) Kareem said that he never visited the crime scene and that the other minor accusing the defendant of defilement was brought to the police by Princess.
He said that the statement of the defendant’s former landlord was recorded in the landlord’s premises and not the police station but the statement was taken to his superior, CSP 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.
The policeman admitted that a lawyer was not present when the Nollywood actor gave his initial statement to the police at the SCID. He explained that Baba Ijesha was not taken to Ikorodu to counter the other claims 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 he was all over the news, television and radio. He could have been hijacked from us and that is why we told him to nominate someone and he nominated his brother to go with us,” Kareem said. Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case until Nov.12 for continuation of trial.
