‘Sexual assault’: I was acting movie script with minor, says Baba Ijesha

Baba Ijesha, the embattled Nollywood actor, has claimed he and the minor in the viral closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage were acting a movie script.

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, he testified in the case while being led in evidence by Dada Awosika, the defence counsel, on Friday.

The actor told the court that Comedian Princess, the foster mother of the minor, 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’” he said.

“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.”

Awosika then tendered a printout of WhatsApps message between Princess and the defendant before the court which was admitted into evidence by Oluwatoyin Taiwo, the judge.

The 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,” he added.

“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.

“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 shoe 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, entered 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.”

Baba Ijesha also claimed that he was forced in one of the viral videos by Princess to admit that he defiled the minor.

He insisted that he was forced to sign a statement which was not written by him at the police station.

During cross-examination by Babajide Martins, the Lagos state director of public prosecutions (DPP), the defendant admitted to having known the minor 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.

After his testimony and cross-examination, the judge adjourned the case until March 11 for the continuation of defence.