The Ikeja, Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court presided by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, on Thursday sentenced a Nigerian actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, aka Baba Ijesha, to 16 years imprisonment.
Baba Ijesha is facing six counts of child defilement that include indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.
The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions, which proffered the charges against the actor, 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.
Baba Ijesha 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.
Delivering the 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 four of the six counts against him.
Baba Ijesha was found guilty of count two, three, four and five.
For count two, he was jailed for three years; count three, five years; count four, three years and sentenced five years for count five.
The justice said the jail terms are to run concurrently for five years.