The 14-year-old daughter of a Popular Nigerian comedian and actor, Princess, on Wednesday, in a video played during proceedings at an Ikeja Special Offences Court, said that Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James fondly called 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 girl during the interview narrated the discussion she had with the embattled actor on April 19 when she met him at her foster mother’s home.
Recall that he was invited based on revelations that he had defiled her seven years ago, although it was unknown to him that a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera had been set up in the home.
The child in the interview stated that when Baba Ijesha came into the home, he initially acted as if he was having a phone conversation and that he began to check the house 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 could 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,” she said during the interview.
Also, 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 occurred 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 to wriggle her waist while sitting on his lap.
“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 child said that the defendant told her not to tell anyone about what happened between them.
The child told Ajayi-Kayode that the 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.
Baba Ijesha is facing a six-count charge bordering on the indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case until Oct. 21 for the continuation of trial.