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BREAKING: Yoruba actor, Baba Ijesha appeals conviction

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The appeal by Nollywood actor,  Olanrewaju James, better known as Baba Ijesha, challenging his conviction by a Lagos State High Court over the sexual assault of a minor, has been adjourned by a Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos.

 

The appeal court reserved for judgment, the appeal, yesterday, after hearing arguments of parties.

 

Justice Folasade Ojo is leading the three-man panel of the appellate court. Other members of the panel are Justice Abdullahi Bayero and Justice Paul Bassi.

 

Baba Ijesha in the appeal, had asked the court to set aside the judgment of the lower court.

 

Recall that Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, now retired of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, had on July 14, 2022,  convicted and sentenced Baba Ijesha to five years imprisonment over the sexual assault of a minor.

 

The judge found him guilty of four counts out of six counts, of the charges preferred against him by the Lagos State government.

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Dissatisfied with the judgment, Baba Ijesha through his counsel, Mr Kayode Olabiran, appealed,  praying the appellate court to declare that his conviction and sentence were done in error.

 

At the hearing of the appeal, yesterday, Baba Ijesha’s counsel argued that the prosecution could not prove that Baba Ijesha sexually assaulted the victim.

 

Olabiran argued, “The charge itself is centered on defilement of a minor but the prosecution couldn’t prove the age of the victim.

 

“The appellant was set up. The appellant is an actor. He acted in a script that he was invited to act by his colleague (PW1), Damilola Adekoya.

 

“(PW1) Damilola Adekoya, asked the appeallant to come and act a script. It is in the statement of PW1, at Panti Police Station, unknowingly to the appellant there was a CCTV in the sitting room.

 

“Whatever we watched in that movie was a script by the producer and the video of the scene of the acting was tendered by the prosecution.

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“Based on his confessional statement as at the day of the arrest, he was under duress and there were so many people who were beating him that was when he confessed to the offence,” he said.

 

Olabiran urged the court to allow the appeal and  set aside the judgment of the lower court, delivered on July 14, 2022.

 

Responding, Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Dr. Babajide Martins urged the court to dismiss the appeal as it’s lacking in merit and also a misconception.

 

He urged the court to affirm the judgment of the lower court delivered on July 14, 2022, which convicted Baba Ijesha of indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault.

 

According to him, “At the time she (victim) gave evidence in 2021, she was 17 years old, which still makes her a child.”

 

 

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Alleged abuse of office: EFCC files additional proof of evidence against Emefiele

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed an additional proof of evidence against Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, are facing trial on a 26-count charge before a Lagos high court.

 

The former CBN governor and Omoile pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The commission had presented two witnesses to testify against Emefiele in the trial.

 

At the resumed hearing on Friday, Olalekan Ojo, counsel to Emefiele, was expected to continue the cross-examination of John Ikechukwu Ayoh, the second prosecution witness.

But Ojo told the court that he just received the additional proof of evidence from the EFCC which was filed on Thursday.

The counsel said he needed to study the additional proof of evidence to be able to cross-examine the prosecution witness.

 

He also accused Rotimi Oyedepo, EFCC counsel, of attempting to engage in “trial by ambush” at the expense of the defendants.

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“My lord, there is a need to adjourn this case. We were just served these huge documents by the EFCC in court,” Ojo said.

 

“The prosecution keeps dumping documents on us at every sitting. This is trial by ambush.”

On his part, Adeyinka Kotoye, counsel to the second defendant, said he was served the additional proof of evidence five minutes after arriving in court.

 

Kotoye accused the EFCC of not being diligent in the prosecution of the case and attempting to ambush the defence team.

In response, the EFCC counsel said it is unfair to describe the service of processes by the prosecution as “ambush by trial”.

 

Oyedepo said the additional proof of evidence served by the commission was some of the documents retrieved from the phone of John Adetona, a former aide to Emefiele, who was listed as a witness.

 

Oyedepo said the documents were served in preparation of the testimony to be given by Adetona before the court.

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He added that Adetona was not meant to appear before the court today or on May 9.

“The witness (Adetona) whose device the documents were printed from has not given evidence before the court,” Oyedepo said.

 

“In preparation for his testimony which is not coming up today or May 9, the prosecution rather waiting for the defense to formally place a demand for the hard copies, the prosecution team printed the documents out.

“How does that amount to prosecutorial unfairness?”

 

Oyedepo prayed that the court should order the defence team to complete the cross-examination of the second prosecution witness.

 

He added that the new documents do not affect the continuation of cross-examination of the witness.

 

However, Emefiele’s counsel disagreed, saying that he needs to study the new documents and that there might be new information to help the cross-examination.

 

In his ruling, Rahman Oshodi, the presiding judge, agreed with the defendants’ counsel and adjourned the matter to May 9.

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Sanwo-Olu appoints KWAM1’s daughter as senior aide

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Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor, has appointed Basirat Damilola Marshall, daughter of Fuji maestro, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, a.k.a KWAM1, as his Senior Special Assistant on Tourism.

The development was leaked to the public in a viral video of her father thanking the governor, and congratulatory messages on her Instagram page, @damimarshall_.

 

In the viral video, her father, KWAM1, while performing on stage at the coronation and birthday reception of Oba Sikirullah Apena on Thursday, thanked Sanwo-Olu for appointing his daughter into his cabinet.

The fuji singer noted that it was his daughter, Damilola, who asked him to publicly thank the governor for her appointment.

Congratulating her on the appointment, a Nigerian, Olanrewaju-Smart Wasiu wrote, “Congratulations Barr. @damimarshall_ on your appointment as the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Tourism. This is a deserving recognition for your hard work and contributions to our party”, to which she responded by saying “Thank you, sir.”

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Another person, Balogun Basia wrote, “Please, join me in congratulating my friend K1 and the entire family on the appointment of my daughter Barrister Basirat Damilola Marshall as the SSA to the governor of Lagos State on Tourism. Damilola, this shall be the beginning of many good things that will come your way and that of your siblings Insha Allah, Alaumoh Amin.”

 

Until her appointment, Damilola was a principal partner at a law firm, Damilola Ayinde Marshal and Co.

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Metro News

Police identify officer who shot man dead at Lagos petrol station

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The Lagos State Police Command says it has identified a police officer who shot a man dead at a petrol station in Obalende area of the state on Wednesday.

 

The Public Relations Officer of the Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this in a post on his X handle on Tuesday.

He said that the officer whom he did not name is serving at Special Protection Unit (SPU), Base 17, Lion Building, Lagos. The PRO said investigation on the incident is still ongoing.

 

He wrote, “The person behind the shooting has been identified as a police officer serving at Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 17, Lion Building, Lagos. Investigation is still ongoing and further findings will be made available.

 

“Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command is working with the family of the deceased to ensure that there is no miscarriage of justice.”

The person behind the shooting has been identified as a police officer serving at Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 17, Lion Building, Lagos.

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Investigation is still ongoing and further findings will be made available. Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command is working with… https://t.co/apTMnaIbsm

— SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) May 2, 2024

 

The tragedy reportedly happened while motorists and residents in the area struggled to purchase fuel at petrol station belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

The deceased alongside others who had been on a queue to purchase petrol was said to have resisted an attempt by the police officer to jump queue and buy fuel which resulted in ensuing fracas that led to the officer shooting the victim who eventually died.

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