A popular Nollywood actor in the yoruba sector of the industry, Olarenwaju Omiyinka popularly known as Baba Ijesha has been accused and arrested for raping a 14-year-old girl. Damilola Adekoya known as Princess, a Nigerian comedian and actor, revealed she was the guardian of a 14-year-old girl who was reportedly assaulted by a colleague. This was mentioned in a video posted to her official Instagram account.
The comedienne disclosed in the video that some parents allowed their children to stay with her after her marriage ended so she wouldn’t be alone. Preliminary investigations showed that the perpetrator started sexually harassing the victim, 14, when she was seven years old, according to Lagos State Police spokesperson Mr Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
Princess later explained that the accused raped the minor just twice, not seven times as the police said. Princess went to the Sabo Police Station in Yaba, Lagos, to register the incident. Speaking on how the accused was caught, She said she had a very cordial relationship with Baba Ijesha and had always come to his rescue on many occasions when he was “caught in the act.” He was also a frequent visitor to her home in Lagos. They have already been in a few films together. He allegedly molested one of her three girls living with her on one of his past visits, she said.
The girl finally opened up to Princess and her friend after seven years. She said she needed to call him for a meeting in her building, where she set up a surveillance camera, and he was caught trying to molest the girl again. According to Premium Times , the suspect as been arrested.
On, April 22, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Lagos State police command arrested the actor for allegedly raping a minor.
The Lagos State Police spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said preliminary findings revealed that the suspect allegedly began sexually assaulting the victim, 14 since she was 7-years-old. Contacted on Wednesday morning, the police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, told PREMIUM TIMES that the suspect is being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti.
He said the police is yet to charge him to court as the courts are not sitting because of the ongoing judiciary strike in Lagos.
There have been a number of comments about Baba Ijesha’s conviction for molesting the child 7 years ago after the comedian Princess reported the circumstances that led to his arrest. As news of Baba Ijesha’s sexual harassment case first broke, Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo took to Instagram to warn her coworkers not to shield him. She mentioned that she has no personal animosity against the alleged actor, but that she would adhere to the truth.
On the other hand, Yomi Fabiyi (another Nollywood actor) spoke out about the case, saying that some of his coworkers were attacking a fallen man because they thought no one could rescue him.
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yabo Ojo then voiced her displeasure with Yomi Fabiyi’s stance on the case. According to the actress, the actor insisted on uploading a video of Baba Ijesha performing the act.
There have been many comments on the accusation, but here is how Nigerians and celebrities in the Nigerian film industry are responding to the news on social media:
One Response
so sad the Nigerian law doesn’t commence justice in the case of rape or minor sexual abuse
but we will keep fighting !!!