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Sexual assault: Victim narrates how Baba Ijesha allegedly defiled her

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The rape trial of embattled actor, Olanrewaju James, better known as Baba Ijesha, continued on Wednesday, with the video of a 14-year-old minor (name withheld) during proceedings at an Ikeja Special Offences Court. In the video, the minor said that Baba Ijesha told her he was her boyfriend.

According to reports, the video was a taped recording of the child forensic interview conducted on May 15 by Mrs Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a child expert and the Executive Director of the Cece Yara Foundation.

The video was played during the cross-examination of Ajayi-Kayode by the defence counsel. Mr Babatunde Ogala (SAN).


The child, during the interview, described the interaction she had with the 49-year-old embattled actor on April 19 when she met him at her foster mother’s home.

He was invited following revelations that he had defiled her seven-years ago and unknown to him, a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera had been set up in the home.

The minor in the interview said when Baba Ijesha came into the home, he initially acted like he was having a phone conversation and that the defendant began checking the apartment to know whether anyone was home before he approached her.

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“He said you’re a smart young girl, my baby. Do you have a boyfriend? I said no and he said since you do not have a boyfriend now that you’re much more mature, you’re now mine, I am your boyfriend.

“He said I used to teach you some things when you were small. I asked him what things so that I could record him with my phone.

“My phone was under the throw pillow because I thought he wanted to confess to what he did seven-years ago, but I was unable to record him.

“He said don’t you remember, me and you used to play together, I used to teach you some things when you were small. Me and you had a contract and I asked him what contract?

Baba Ijesha: How Princess was able to recall defilement – Child expert tells court

“He asked me to sit on his legs and I said no and he said you that when you were small you were not afraid. Now you’re afraid,” the minor said in the interview.

The child told Ajayi-Kayode that Baba Ijesha, during the April 19 incident, began touching her sexually and he had asked her to bring him some water.

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“When I went to the kitchen he also followed me and it was at this point that my mother and the other men (CCTV company staff) came in,” she said.

Earlier, the minor narrated to Ajayi-Kayode what transpired when the Nollywood actor allegedly defiled her seven-years ago.

She said that the first incident occurred when Baba Ijesha came to visit her sick foster mother when she was a seven-year old. She said she was sitting on the carpet watching cartoons while he sat on the couch.

She said the defendant asked her to remove her underwear and that he brought out his private part and asked her to wriggle her waist while sitting on his laps.

“My concentration was on the cartoon I was watching, I couldn’t remember how long I was on his laps before I felt some wetness.

“He cleaned himself with a handkerchief and he asked me to clean myself up and I went to the bathroom to clean myself up with a towel,” she said.

The minor said that the defendant told her not to tell anyone about what transpired between them.

The child told Ajayi-Kayode that next day, Baba Ijesha came to her home with some fruits for her foster mother and she was asked to pick up the fruits from his car.

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“The car was parked at a T-junction and there was a wall and a gutter there and no one was on the other side.

“The fruits were on the back seat and he opened the door in front and asked me to take the fruits.

“When I stretched to pick the fruits from the back seat, he put the car keys into my private part and at the same time he was trying to kiss me.

“After this incident, I did not see him again until seven-years later,” she said.

During the interview, the child expert gave the minor a male and a female doll to depict how the defendant allegedly molested her seven-years ago.

The child gave a demonstration of how the molestation happened to the observation of Ajayi-Kayode.

The actor faces a six-count charge bordering on indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case until Oct. 21 for continuation of trial.

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Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru dies at 57

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Veteran Nigerian actor, Francis Duru, has died at the age of 57.

The actor’s family announced the news of his passing on his official Instagram page in the early hours of Friday, revealing that he died following a brief illness.

“We, the family of Francis Duru, regret to announce his passing following a brief illness,” the post reads.

“We appreciate your prayers, love, and understanding. May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.”

Earlier in June, the actor denied viral reports claiming he was battling a life-threatening illness.

The rumours gained traction after footage showing him in a frail condition circulated widely on social media, raising concern among fans and colleagues.

In response, Duru shared an Instagram video describing the footage as “fabricated and malicious”.

Duru was born on July 27, 1969, in Cameroon, to parents of Nigerian origin from Imo state. He completed his primary and secondary education in Cameroon before relocating to Nigeria to pursue a university degree.

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He gained admission to the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers state, where he studied Theatre Arts and earned a B.A. degree in 1996.

He made his entry into the Nigerian film industry in 1989 with a movie titled ‘Missing Mark,’ directed by the late Ndubuisi Oko.

His appearance in the film did little to advance his career at the time, as he was still considered an up-and-coming actor.

He gained greater recognition in the industry in 1995 after appearing in ‘Rattlesnake,’ an action-comedy produced by the late Amaka Igwe. Duru played a notable role in the film as the character Ahanna.

Over the course of his career, Duru received numerous awards and honours for his work. He was named a United Nations ambassador of peace in recognition of his positive influence on young people. In 2020, he won the :Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo)’ award at the Best of Nollywood Awards for his performance in ‘Mboputa’.

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Duru married his wife Adokiye in 2003, and the couple had four children together. They lost Ifeanyi, one of their children, in August 2024.

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Olu Jacobs laid to rest in Lagos

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Family, friends and colleagues gathered for the funeral service of veteran actor Olu Jacobs on Friday, as his remains were laid to rest at the This Present House Church, Lekki, Lagos.

The service was witnessed by members of the entertainment industry and other dignitaries, who came to pay their last respects to the late thespian.

Among those who paid their respect was entertainment entrepreneur, Darey Art Alade, who performed his hit song Pray For Me, featuring Olu Jacobs and his wife, veteran actress Joke Silva.

The actor’s son, Olugbenga Jacobs, also presented his father’s biography during the funeral proceedings.

The burial follows a Night of Tributes held on Wednesday at Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos Island, where Nollywood stars and well-wishers gathered to honour the late icon.

Jacobs died on September 16, 2026, at the age of 84.

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Lateef Adedimeji rewards first 10 winners of Baba Eta Challenge on DusDus

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It was a moment of excitement and celebration in Lagos on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, as popular Nollywood actor, Lateef Adedimeji, personally presented prizes to the first 10 winners of the recently concluded Lateef Adedimeji (Baba Eta) Challenge on DusDus.

The presentation, which took place at the DusDus office in Lagos, brought together the winners, representatives of the platform and the award-winning actor, who appeared delighted to personally celebrate participants who distinguished themselves in the challenge.

Coker Oluwarantimi who came first in the challenge received cheque of 1million naira while Ajewole Ayomide and others received 200,000 naira each.

The Baba Eta Challenge, which leveraged Adedimeji’s popularity and his much-loved “Baba Eta” persona, provided fans and followers with an opportunity to participate in a fun-filled digital campaign while competing for prizes.

For the winners, meeting the actor in person added an extra layer of excitement to what had already been an engaging experience.

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Rather than simply having the prizes distributed on his behalf, the actor chose to personally hand them over to the first 10 winners, turning the presentation into an intimate celebration of creativity, participation and the growing relationship between entertainers and their digital audiences.

Adedimeji’s collaboration with DusDus further highlights the evolving relationship between entertainment personalities and digital platforms, where challenges, audience participation and creator-led campaigns are increasingly becoming powerful tools for engagement.

The prize presentation also underscored the importance of recognising audience participation in digital campaigns. For the winners, what began as a social-media challenge culminated in a face-to-face encounter with one of Nollywood’s popular faces.

With Adedimeji personally presenting the prizes, the Baba Eta Challenge ended not merely as another online campaign, but as a memorable experience for its first set of winners.

DusDus is an entertainment and creators contest app that empowers young Nigerian content creators to create, share and win rewards for their video posts in a variety of engaging challenges. It is available for free downloads on playstore and Applestore.

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