A 14-year-old minor (name withheld) Wednesday in a video played during proceedings at an Ikeja Special Offences Court said that Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James alias Baba Ijesha, told her he was her boyfriend.
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 child, during the interview, described the interaction she had with the 49-year-old embattled actor on April 19 when she met him at her foster mother’s home.
He was invited following revelations that he had defiled her seven years ago and unknown to him, a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera had been set up in the home.
The minor in the interview said when Baba Ijesha came into the home, he initially acted like he was having a phone conversation and that the defendant began checking the apartment 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,” the minor narrated.
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.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case until October 21 for the continuation of trial.
