An Investigative Police Officer, IPO, ASP Wahab Kareem, who investigates the alleged defilement of a minor by a Nollywood actor, James Olanrewaju, popularly called Baba Ijesha, has told an Ikeja Special Offences Court that he is a serial pedophilia who has other case hanging on his neck.
A pedophile also spelled pedophilia is a person who has a sustained sexual orientation toward children, generally aged 13 or younger, meanwhile not all pedophiles are child molesters (or vice versa).
The IPO who is attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, Lagos made the revelation while testifying as the fifth prosecution witness.
Led in evidence by the state prosecutor, Mr Yusuf Sule, the policeman said that in the course of investigations, another girl (name withheld) came forward that the defendant assaulted her when she was 12-years-old.
“We interviewed her and the defendant behind the counter and he vehemently denied the allegations.
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“The girl said the incident occured at Agah area of Ikorodu and we told a representative of the actor to follow us to the house and we met the landlord.
“The landlord showed us an apartment and said this is where Baba Ijesha used to stay meanwhile the defendant had denied living in that area,” the policeman said.
Following the revelation of the witness, the statement of Baba Ijesha’s former landlord, Alhaji Jameel and his statement at SCID Yaba was admitted as evidence.
During proceedings, a visual recording of Baba Ijesha at the SCID admitting to sexually assaulting the foster daughter of actress and comedienne Ms Damilola Adekoya alias Princess was played in court.
“I harassed her, I touched her hand and I licked her hand,” the defendant said in the clip.
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While being cross-examined by Mr Babatunde Ogala (SAN) the policeman said that he never visited the crime scene and that the other minor accusing the defendant of defilement was brought to the police by Princess.
He said that the statement of the defendant’s former landlord was recorded in the landlord’s premises and not the police station but the statement was taken to his superior, CSP Margaret Ighodalo.
When asked to show where his superior countersigned the landlord’s statement as required by law, the witness said the landlord’s statement was not countersigned.
The policeman admitted that a lawyer was not present when the Nollywood actor gave his initial statement to the police at the SCID.
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He explained that Baba Ijesha not taken to Ikorodu to counter the other claims of defilement due to security reasons.
“The defendant was the one who asked his brother to take us to Ikorodu. We did not take him there because of security reasons he was all over the news, television and radio
“He could have been hijacked from us and that is why we told him to nominate someone and he nominated his brother to go with us,” Kareem said.
After entertaining submission of counsels, the trial judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case till November 12 for continuation of trial.
