Why Nollywood Actor, Baba Ijesha May Bag Life Imprisonment – DPP
CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
Facts have emerged on why Nollywood actor, James Olarewaju, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, may likely spend the rest of his life in prison over alleged defilement following the outcome of the report from the Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP, which made it difficult for the Police in Lagos to release him from custody.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the DPP stated in its report that Baba Ijesha has a case to answer for sexual assault by penetration and recommended his prosecution for felony, which attracts life imprisonment if prosecuted and found guilty before the Court.
Already Baba Ijesha has made confessional statement admitting that he actually committed the alleged offence through a video that went viral on the social media.
This was disclosed by the Lagos State Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, and ruled out the possibility of granting him bail.
CSP Muyiwa Adejobi said that the DPP of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice has stalled any possibility of releasing Baba Ijesha on bail based on criminal charges he has to answer.
Adejobi said that the DPP advised the Police to still detain Baba Ijesha because the case against him according to legal advice was sexual assault by penetration pending when he would be charged to Court.
“Invariably sexual assault is more or like defilement too considering the age of the survivor. So, Baba Ijesha is being kept with the Police not within our own power but because of the legal advice from the DPP pending when Baba Ijesha’s case will be charged to Court.”.
“If the DPP has advised us to release Baba Ijesha, we would have released him,” the spokesperson said.
He said that Baba Ijesha was to be initially granted bail based on the statement that his offence was indecent assault, which was a bailable offense.
However, after the DPP looked into the case file, the Police were advised not to release Baba Ijesha on bail pending when he will be charged to Court.
“The DPP said that there are number of cases Baba Ijesha will be charged for particularly sexual assault by penetration, which is a serious offense,” Adejobi said.
P.M.EXPRESS findings revealed that the case of defilement under the Lagos State Criminal code attracts life imprisonment, which Baba Ijesha may likely be convicted for since he had admitted that he committed the alleged offence.