NEWS
Judgment: Baba Ijesha took his acting too far – Judge
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court on Thursday held that Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James, alias Baba Ijesha, convicted for defiling a 14-year-old, took his acting too far.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Taiwo sentenced Baba Ijesha to 16 years’ imprisonment for defiling a minor.
The judge sentenced the convict to five years’ imprisonment on count two, three years on count three, five years on count four and three years on count five of the six~count charge he faced.
She, however, said that the sentencing, which must take effect from July 14, should should run concurrently.
“The defendant took his acting too far. Children are frequently preyed on because of their inability to defend themselves.
“However, the court is not distracted. The defendant abused the position of friendship.
“This case brings to the limelight various sexual assault cases in the society despite the efforts of government and non-governmental organisations to sensitise the public on incessant cases of sexual assault.
“The is very sad. The behaviour of the defendant is appalling, as this shows the length people can go in exhibiting the animalistic urge in them,” she said.
The judge remarked that the case attracted frivolous comments on social media because of the personality of the actor.
NAN reports that Baba Ijesha broke down in tears after the judge pronounced the judgment.
He was surrounded by his colleagues in the movie industry.
NAN also reports that his counsel, Mr Gabriel Olabiran, had prayed the court to consider the least sentence for him.
Olabiran said that the convict was a first-time offender and had passed through trauma of incarceration both at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, and at the Kirikiri Custodial Centre.
“There is no doubt that the defendant is very remorseful. My lord, we pray you to consider the fact that the defendant is an actor who has impacted positively on the society in the course of his career.
“We urge your lordship to be lenient with the defendant who has lost almost all his image all over the world and will be deserted by his colleagues in the movie industry.
READ ALSO: Baba Ijesha bags i6 years imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor
“He has an aged parents, wife and son who depend on him; they look up to him coming back home. We assure the court that the defendant is a changed person who will not go back to his vomit.
“We urge the court to be merciful unto him and consider the least sentence,” Olabiran said.
Prosecution team led by Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, Dr Babajide Martins, left the sentencing at the discretion of the court.
“The law has taken its course. The offences that my lord has found the defendant liable have custodial sentencing.
“Count two is for seven years, count three is for four years, count four is liable for seven years and count five is for three years.
“We, however, leave the sentencing at the discretion of the court,” Martins said.
Baba Ijesha faced six counts of child defilement that included 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 contravened Section 135, 137, 261, 202, 262 and 263 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015, which stipulates up to life imprisonment for offenders.
Baba Ijesha pleaded not guilty to all the counts on arraignment. (NAN)
The abductors of a Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruku Bunza, have demanded N200 million as ransom for his release following his abduction from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area.
The ransom demand was confirmed on Tuesday by the Kebbi State Commissioner of Police, Umar Hadejia, and the judge’s brother, Yusuf Bunza.
Justice Bunza was kidnapped in the early hours of Sunday from his home along Zogirma Road in Bunza, prompting a swift security response.
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Speaking on the development, Commissioner Hadejia said police had launched an intensive operation to rescue the judge unharmed and apprehend those behind the abduction.
According to him, intelligence gathered during the operation revealed that the kidnappers were demanding N200 million for the judge’s freedom.
He disclosed that a combined team of security operatives had been deployed to comb suspected escape routes, while strategic checkpoints had been mounted across key locations believed to have been used by the abductors.
The police commissioner expressed confidence that the ongoing operation would lead to the safe rescue of Justice Bunza and the arrest of the kidnappers.
Hadejia further revealed that the family informed the police that the abductors had contacted a registrar of the High Court in Abuja to begin negotiations over the ransom demand.
Confirming the development, the judge’s brother, Yusuf Bunza, said the kidnappers had also reached out to him.
“Yes, they contacted me; they asked for N200 million from the family. We don’t know what to do now but we believe the authorities and security operatives are doing their duty to secure his release,” he said.
The abduction has heightened concerns over the security of judicial officers and the persistent threat of kidnapping across parts of the country, as security agencies continue efforts to secure the judge’s safe release.
Students of DS Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori, Ogun State, on Tuesday shut down the Abeokuta-Lagos Expressway in protest following the killing of one of their colleagues during a robbery attack on a student community behind the institution.
The protest, which caused heavy traffic congestion along the busy highway, erupted after suspected armed robbers invaded Eruku Community, where many students reside, in the early hours of Tuesday.
According to the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr Goke Rafiu, the attackers raided about 15 houses in the community, killing one student and leaving three others injured.
“What happened was that some armed robbers raided about 15 houses in Eruku where some of our students are living. The community is actually behind the school, and during the attack, one of the students was killed while about three others were injured,” Rafiu said.
He disclosed that one of the injured students had been taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, for treatment.
“We are currently in the community with police officers and members of the institution’s management team, including the Chairman of the Governing Council, Ambassador Toye Okanlawon, to chart the way forward,” he added.
The rector appealed to the protesting students to remain calm, assuring them that the Ogun State Government, security agencies and community leaders were working to improve security around the institution.
Following the tragic incident, the institution postponed examinations scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, and Wednesday, July 29, to honour the deceased student and allow affected students time to recover emotionally.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the Timetable, Examination and Academic Calendar Committee, Gideon Adekunle, the institution said: “Following the unfortunate incident that resulted in the loss of a student and injuries to others during a robbery attack in Eruku, the examinations scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, and Wednesday, July 29, have been postponed.
“This is to ensure students in the affected area regain their composure and mental stability, and most importantly, to honour the deceased.
“Examinations will resume on Friday, July 30, 2026, as scheduled. A new timetable for the postponed examinations will be communicated in due course.”
The Students’ Union Government President, Comrade Owoigbe Blessing, said the robbers struck around midnight, killing a final-year Higher National Diploma (HND II) student.
“One final-year HND II student was killed, another female student was injured after her ear was severed, while another student who was shot has been rushed to the Federal Medical Centre,” she said.
She called on the Ogun State Government to strengthen security around the institution, lamenting that robbery attacks had become a recurring problem in Eruku Community.
“There is no adequate security. If there was, this would not have happened. This is not the first, second or even third time such an incident has occurred in Eruku,” she said.
Also reacting, the Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Ogun State, Comrade Olabode Faruq Success, condemned the rising insecurity around tertiary institutions in the state and called for urgent intervention to protect students.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s reconciliation with his political camp as a correction of past mistakes, insisting the governor had no better alternative than returning to the political family that brought him to power.
Speaking with journalists on Tuesday after inspecting ongoing road projects across the Federal Capital Territory, Wike dismissed claims that Fubara’s return was an act of seeking forgiveness following their prolonged political feud.
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According to the former Rivers State governor, politics is not about sin but about recognising mistakes and making the right decisions.
“I don’t know what you mean by sin. In politics, there is no sin. If someone realises they made a mistake and decides to correct it, there is nothing wrong with that. Politics is not a sin. What matters is recognising that you were on the wrong path and making the right decision,” Wike said.
Wike recalled that he had predicted the reconciliation before Fubara publicly announced it, maintaining that the governor had no choice but to return to the political structure that produced him.
“I said during my last media chat that he had no other choice but to return to the same political family that produced him. I have now been informed that he has made that declaration publicly, and we welcome him. Our doors are open. Everyone is welcome for us to work together. There is no better alternative. We will all work together to move the state forward,” he stated.
The FCT minister added that Fubara’s public declaration of reconciliation would further strengthen efforts to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election ahead of the 2027 general election.
“He has publicly stated that he has returned to where he started, and we receive him with an open mind. There is nothing to hide. We will all work together to ensure that we deliver the votes President Tinubu needs for his re-election,” Wike added.
The minister spoke while inspecting major infrastructure projects in the FCT, including the ISEX Road Corridor and the nearly completed Apo-Karshi Road.
Expressing satisfaction with the pace of work, Wike said the Tinubu administration remains committed to completing inherited projects rather than abandoning them, noting that continuity in governance is essential for development.
He explained that the ISEX Road project, awarded in 2014 but left incomplete by previous administrations, is expected to be partially completed before the end of the year if the necessary funds are released.
Wike stressed that completing ongoing infrastructure projects would protect public investments, improve connectivity and accelerate economic growth across the Federal Capital Territory.
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