Baba Ijesha, the embattled actor, has dropped plans to file a no-case submission in his trial on alleged sexual assault.
Baba Ijesha is charged with six counts of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.
He is undergoing trial before an Ikeja special offences court.
According to NAN, Kayode Olabiran, the defence counsel, had in December informed the court that the defendant had no case to answer and intends to file a no-case submission at the next court date.
However, during Tuesday proceedings, A.O Alo, a defence counsel, informed the court that the defence team had made a change of plans after a review of the case with the defendant.
“The defendant after the review has decided to put in his defence and we have decided not to file the no-case submission again,” he said.
“In view of this, we will be humbly praying that the court should give us a short adjournment.”
Oluwatoyin Taiwo, the judge, queried the request of the defence counsel for an adjournment, adding that there was sufficient time from the last proceedings on December 15, 2021, to prepare a defence.
She said that Baba Ijesha should enter the witness box to commence his defence.
In his reaction, Alo revealed that it was his first time appearing in court for the case despite being from the law firm of Dada Awosika (SAN), one of the lead defence counsel.
“My lord, the learned silk is indisposed. The other lead defence counsel, Mr Babatunde Ogala, SAN, has also communicated to the court that he will is also indisposed,” he said.
Opposing the request for adjournment, Babajide Martins, director of public prosecution (DPP), described the excuse of the defence counsel as “quite unfortunate”.
Martins said, as the recently appointed DPP, he is also appearing before the court for the first time.
He also said there was no law for conditional representation and once a lawyer appears before a court, it is presumed that he carries out his legal representation duties to the letter.
In her ruling, the judge said she will be giving the two SANs who represent Baba Ijesha the benefit of the doubt.
“This case is adjourned until February 17 and 18 at 1 pm for defence,” she added.
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