Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James, aka Baba Ijesha, on Friday testified before an Ikeja Special Offences Court claiming that he was acting a script in the viral video with a minor.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Baba Ijesha made this revelation while being led in evidence by the defence counsel, Dada Awosika (SAN).
Baba Ijesha told the court that the foster mother of the minor, Damilola Adekoya, a comedian also known as Princess, had called and requested him to be part of the movie production.
“On April 19, 2021, Princess sent me a message that she wanted to start a production and she would like me to play the role of a lover boy which I replied ‘okay’.
“She said I was to play the role of a lover boy adding that she wanted to surprise people that I can also play normal roles.
“She said the story is about rape and she wanted to tell the story in another dimension,” he said.
The defence counsel tendered before the court, a printout of WhatsApps messages between Princess and the defendant, which was admitted in evidence by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo.
The embattled actor said he asked Princess for the movie location but she told him to come over to her house.
“Before I entered, Princess met me at the balcony that the movie production was a Lagos State project, adding that the state wanted her to be the face of ‘anti-child molestation.’
“She told me to improvise and create a story by myself. I told her the house was dark when I entered. She said we should rehearse that she would use her phone.
“Princess told me to kiss and suck the breast of the child, adding that the dress the girl was wearing was purposely for the role the girl wanted to play.
“She would leave the room so that the child would not be shy to play out the role.
“All those things we are seeing in that video is just acting. My lord, check my record when it comes to acting, I can kill myself and die for acting. She was the one directing and filming my angles,” he said.
Baba Ijesha told the court that he and Princess were directors of the movie, adding that she told him he could act out the scene in the kitchen as well.
“She told me I could go into the kitchen as well. She told the girl in question ‘you remember what I told you, when I leave the room now, act out your role perfectly.’
“The girl removed my shoes and I started acting out my role. I romanced her based on the movie role Princess gave me.
“As I was acting with the girl, kissing and licking her fingers, I was also whispering to her ‘hey do not look at the camera’.
“Suddenly, I saw like eight people including Princess enter the room and started beating the girl.
“I even thought it was part of acting. She beat her and said ‘idiot is that what I asked you to do’. One of the men gave me a blow and alleged that I raped the girl,” he said.
The defendant further told the court that he was shocked when he was being beaten and thought that the men who meted out the beating were amateur actors because they are not meant to use actual physical violence in movie scenes.
Baba Ijesha said that he was forced in one of the viral videos by Princess to admit that he defiled the minor.
“Princess said “you know I love you, just tell me that seven years ago you used your car key to disvirgin the girl” that she would allow me to go if I said so.
“I had to accept under pressure so that the men would not injure me the more. Later, Princess invited one police officer named Abigail before I was taken to Sabo Police Station,” he told the court.
The defendant said he was forced to sign a statement that was not written by him at the police station.
“The statement in question profiled me because I have all my information online and Princess knows all my information as well.
“Immediately, Abigail asked me to sign and I did just that, she took me back to the cell and I stayed there till the following morning,” he said.
Under cross-examination by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, the defendant admitted to having known the girl since she was seven.
He added that he did not inform the Police at Sabo and Panti, respectively that they were acting.
“I did not inform the policemen that we were acting because I was not myself.
“I also did not inform them at the two police stations that Princess and I were in a relationship,” he said.
Probing Baba Ijesha further, Martins said: “While you were being beaten, you said you thought that they were amateur actors because of the actual violence.
“Since you said it was a movie script, so you are not meant to mimic sexual assault on an underage child?”
Baba Ijesha in his response said the scenes he acted with the minor were appropriate.
The defendant is facing a six-count charge bordering on indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case till March 11 for continuation of defence.