Alleged Molestation Of A Minor: CCTV Recordings Of Baba Ijesha Tampered With — Expert

An Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court has heard that the content of a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) recording on popular actor James Olarewaju aka Baba Ijesha may have been tampered with.

A defence witness and expert in CCTV installation and maintenance, Engr. Adeleke Lawrence made an allusion to this while being led in evidence by Babatunde Ogala (SAN) in the ongoing trial of Ijesha Baba.

Baba Ijesha is facing a six-count charge of child defilement bordering on allegations of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo.

The first witness to testify in the defence of Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka alias Baba Ijesha on Thursday testified that the actor and the minor he allegedly defiled were both acting out a script and that some videos were edited.

Lawrence Ayeni, a graduate of Mechanical Engineering, who’s also experienced in video production as well as CCTV installation and maintenance told Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Lagos State Sexual and Special Offenses Court in Ikeja that one of the CCTV recordings of the alleged encounter was tampered with at the point of editing the video.

Among the Four videos played in open court were of Baba Ijesha and the 14-year old in the home of her foster mother, comedienne, Damilola Adekoya alias Princess recorded in April 2021 before his arrest. They were both seated on a couch for a time before walking out. Baba Ijesha offered her a cup to drink from when they returned, kissed her hand, and drew her close to him. They are conversing, but their voices are muffled.

According to the witness who was led in his evidence by co-lead defence counsel, Babatunde Ogala, a senior advocate of Nigeria, “The CCTV has no audio because it was a fibre camera that was used.
The voices you hear are of those persons who recorded the encounter, directing the script and later edited the recording.

Baba Ijesha is acting what the director asked him to. The girl often looks at the camera so she was acting out what she was told to. At the point of copying the contents into a computer, errors could have been inputed or tampered with”

The other videos viewed were when Baba Ijesha was seen pleading for forgiveness from Princess when she accosted him, and when he was arrested and his statement taken during custody.

But during cross examination led by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, Babajide Martins, the witness admitted that the CCTV footage cannot be manipulated at the time of the recording and that speculations of tampering with the recording or using various devices to record cannot change its contents or what was said.

Further hearing was fixed for March 4, 2022.