A 14-year-old minor (name withheld) on Wednesday in a video played during proceedings at an Ikeja Special Offences Court said that Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James alias Baba Ijesha, told her he was her boyfriend.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the video was a taped recording of the child forensic interview conducted on May 15 by Mrs. Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a child expert and the Executive Director of the Cece Yara Foundation.
The video was played during the cross-examination of Ajayi-Kayode by the defence counsel. Mr Babatunde Ogala (SAN).
The child, during the interview, described the interaction she had with the 49-year-old embattled actor on April 19 when she met him at her foster mother’s home.
He was invited following revelations that he had defiled her seven-years ago and unbeknownst to him, a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera had been set up in the home.
The minor in the interview said when Baba Ijesha came into the home, he initially acted like he was having a phone conversation and that the defendant began checking the apartment to know whether anyone was home before he approached her.
“He said you’re a smart young girl, my baby. Do you have a boyfriend? I said no and he said since you do not have a boyfriend now that you’re much more mature, you’re now mine, I am your boyfriend.
“He said I used to teach you some things when you were small. I asked him what things so that I can record him with my phone.
“My phone was under the throw pillow because I thought he wanted to confess to what he did seven-years ago but I was unable to record him.
“He said don’t you remember, me and you used to play together, I used to teach you some things when you were small. Me and you had a contract and I asked him what contract?
“He asked me to sit on his legs and I said no and he said you that when you were small you were not afraid. Now you’re afraid,” the minor said in the interview.
The child told Ajayi-Kayode that Baba Ijesha during the April 19 incident, began touching her sexually and he had asked her to bring him some water.
“When I went to the kitchen he also followed me and it was at this point that my mother and the other men (CCTV company staff) came in,” she said.
Earlier, the minor narrated to Ajayi-Kayode what transpired when the Nollywood actor allegedly defiled her seven-years ago.
She said that the first incident occured when Baba Ijesha came to visit her sick foster mother when she was a seven-year old. She said she was sitting on the carpet watching cartoons while he sat on the couch.
She said the defendant asked her to remove her underwear and that he brought out his private part and asked her wriggle her waist while sitting on his laps.
“My concentration was on the cartoon I was watching, I couldn’t remember how long I was on his laps before I felt some wetness.
“He cleaned himself with a handkerchief and he asked me to clean myself up and I went to the bathroom to clean myself up with a towel,” she said.
The minor said that the defendant told her not to tell anyone about what transpired between them.
The child told Ajayi-Kayode that next day, Baba Ijesha came to her home with some fruits for her foster mother and she was asked to pick up the fruits from his car.
“The car was parked at a T-junction and there was a wall and a gutter there and no one was on the other side.
“The fruits were on the back seat and he opened the door in front and asked me to take the fruits.
“When I stretched to pick the fruits from the back seat, he put the car keys into my private part and at the same time he was trying to kiss me.
“After this incident, I did not see him again until seven-years later,” she said.
During the interview, the child expert gave the minor a male and a female doll to depict how the defendant allegedly molested her seven-years ago.
The child gave a demonstration of how the molestation happened to the observation of Ajayi-Kayode.
NAN reports that the embattled actor faces a six-count charge bordering on indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.
The offences contravene Sections 135, 259, 262, 263 and 262 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Actress and comedienne Ms Damilola Adekoya alias Princess, the foster mother of the minor and Nollywood actress, Ms Iyabo Ojo were present in court to observe proceedings.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case until Oct. 21 for continuation of trial.
