I was beaten, forced to sign confessional statement ― Baba Ijesha

Nollywood actor, James Omiyinka Olanrewaju also known as Baba Ijesha has disowned the confessional statement attributed to him in the sexual offences charge pressed against him.

He said he was forced to sign the statement when thugs beat and tortured him to admit to the said offence.

The defendant disclosed this during the trial-within-trial held on Friday before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Court in Ikeja.

He said he was beaten with a stick, forced to sit on the floor in order to sign the statement.
He also claimed that everything in the statement was dictated to the police by the comedienne, Ms. Damilola Adekola a.k.a Princess who is the complainant.

While being led in evidence by one of his counsel, Dada Awosika, SAN, he said: “My cloth was torn, I was forced to sit on the ground. My body was shaking. They showed me the statement, I did not volunteer the statement. I was just asked to sign it. Princess dictated everything to them.

He said further that when Insp. Oname Abigail arrived at Princess’ house on April 19, the day he was arrested, the complainant hid some boys who were beating him inside a room before allowing her to come inside.

He said that when he was led outside, some boys again came and beat him until he was rescued by some police officers who took him on a bike to Sabo Divisional Police Headquarters and locked him up in a cell.

During cross-examination by the prosecuting counsel, Yusuf Sule, Baba Ijesha insisted he did not volunteer the statement but that the content was dictated to the police by the complainant.

He also denied knowledge of the current residence of the complainant, insisting that only her former residence was known to him.

He, however, confirmed he volunteered details such as names of his father, mother, primary and secondary schools attended, his age, reasons for dropping out of the University of Lagos, Akoka.

But Baba Ijesha failed to respond when confronted by the prosecution that the IPO could not have known these details if he did not volunteer any information to her.

The police representative insisted that Baba Ijesha voluntarily made the statement under caution and approved of it when it was read to him.

Insp. Abigail insisted she read cautionary words to Baba Ijesha and that he told her he understood English and everything she read to him.

Tribune Online reports that Baba Ijesha is facing a six-count charge bordering on allegations of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration, and sexual assault by penetration. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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I was beaten, forced to sign confessional statement ― Baba Ijesha  | I was beaten, forced to sign confessional statement ― Baba Ijesha  |