Admin l Saturday, March 05, 2022
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James alias Baba Ijesha on Friday told an Ikeja Special Offences Court that actress and comedienne Ms Damilola Adekoya alias Princess, who accused him of sexually molesting her 14 year old foster daughter, was his former lover.
The actor made the disclosure while testifying as the second defence witness at his criminal trial for allegedly defiling the 14-year-old foster daughter of princess. Led in evidence by defence counsel, Mr Dada Awosika (SAN), Baba Ijesha gave a vivid description of the nature of the relationship he used to have with Princess.
“We were dating my lord, she always sleeps in my room. We sleep together, I touch her, she touches me, she kisses me and I kiss her,” he said. Earlier in his evidence, the defendant threw some light on how he met the comedienne. He said he received a phone call from Princess while he was an On-Air Personality at Radio Lagos and LTV 8.
“She said she was my number one fan and she asked me to promote her on my program. That is how we started. She told me she wanted to join the Yoruba section because the English Section is bad, Ali Baba is bad, Buchi is bad. She also asked me to introduce her to my producer,” he said.
The defendant said that during the course of the relationship, he met the mother of Princess who took a liking to him because they are namesakes and that the mother gave him her nickname which is “Mama Larry”.
He said that Princess’ mother also advised him to take care of her daughter and that though her daughter is stubborn, she was assured that he can “handle her”.
“I promised to promote her, I cannot allow anything to affect her career, I cannot hurt a woman, I’ve never done it in my life,” he said.
Narrating what transpired in 2014, the day he allegedly sexually molested Princess’ foster daughter with a car key, he said in October 2014, a day after he returned from visiting his wife at the United Kingdom, he received a phone call from Princess.
He said the comedienne informed him that she was battling ill health and needed some fruits. Heeding her request, he bought some fruits to her home.
“Immediately I opened the door to her house, I saw her half naked and I told her that I’am outside, your fruit is inside the car. Few minutes later the young girl (Princess’s foster daughter) came to pick the fruits from the car, she even met some area boys asking me for money, I gave her the fruits and she left,” he said.
Under cross-examination by the Lagos State Director of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr Jide Martins, the defendant denied defiling the minor with his car key during the visit to her foster mother’s home in 2014. He however admitted knowing the girl since she was seven-years-old and that he had visited Princess’ home seven-years ago.
“Princess is not my benefactor, she is the one who benefitted from me,” he said. Baba Ijesha who at a point broke down in tears during the cross-examination said that the evidence he gave in court in his defence is not an afterthought.
He described Princess as a jilted lover and that plenty evidence exists that he and Princess were in a relationship, though such evidence was not tendered in court. Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case until March 11 for continuation of defence.
