The Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Lagos State Ministry of Justice, has foreclosed the possibility of releasing Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha on bail.
The DPP disclosed that this is based on criminal charges he had to answer to.
This was made known by the spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi. He made the disclosure to newsmen on Friday at the Police Public Relations Office, Oduduwa, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos State.
Baba Ijesha was arrested in April for allegedly defiling a minor.
Equally important, the popular Nollywood star was said to have been involved in the act for seven years. Adejobi said that the DPP advised the police to still detain Baba Ijesha, pending when he would be charged to court; because the case against him, according to legal advice, is sexual assault by penetration.
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“Invariably sexual assault is more like defilement too, considering the age of the victim.
“So, Baba Ijesha is being kept with the police not within our own power; but because of the legal advice from the DPP pending when Baba Ijesha’s case will be charged to court.
“If the DPP has advised us to release Baba Ijesha, we will have released him,” the spokesperson said.
In addition, Adejobi revealed that Baba Ijesha’s case was initially bailable; based on the statement that his offense was based on indecent assault which was a bailable offense.
“However, after the DPP investigated the case file, the police advised not to release Baba Ijesha on bail; pending when he will be charged to court. The DPP said that there are a number of cases Baba Ijesha will be charged for, particularly sexual assault by penetration, which is a serious offense,” he said.
Meanwhile, Adejobi said that police cells were managed and decongested to avoid overcrowding inmates. He added that most of the cases currently at their disposal were bailable offenses; adding that they had been bailed while unbailable cases that were not yet in court, were granted tentative bail.
“By tentative bail, the offender goes home, only after providing a substantive surety that assures to produce the offender as and when due, so our cells are well managed and not congested,” Adejobi said.
However, he stated that several cases that make up offenders in police custody were pending cases; noting that these were attached to court and still within the police facilities.
