Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court on Thursday convicted and sentenced a popular Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, known better as Baba Ijesha, to 16 years imprisonment.
FirstNews reported earlier that Justice Taiwo after convicting the actor, stood down for a few minutes for the sentencing of the convict.
After the short break, the court sentenced the embattled actor to 16 years in jail.
Recall that Baba Ijesha has been in a protracted legal battle after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
He faced a six-count charge of child defilement that include indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration, proffered against him by
the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
DPP argued that the offences contravene Section 135, 137, 261, 202, 262 and 263 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015, which stipulates life imprisonment for offenders.
In her judgement, Justice Taiwo said that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of all the charges against him.
However, she found the defendant guilty of two of the six counts against him. He was convicted of indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault in a two-hour judgment.
Taiwo discharged and acquitted him of the other counts which include sexual assault by penetration and attempted sexual assault by penetration.
The actor was arraigned on June 24, 2021 for the offence.
During his trial, six prosecution witnesses testified against him.
They are Princess, the 14-year-old minor, Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a child expert; Aniekan Makanjuola, a medical doctor; Wahab Kareem, the investigating police officer; and Abigail Omane, a policewoman.
Baba Ijesha had pleaded not guilty to all the counts. However, a Closed-Circuit Television video recording detailing his relationship with the victim said to be a minor was played in court.