A Lagos Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has fixed 19 September 2022 for ruling on the post-conviction bail application filed by convicted actor, Olanrewaju James popularly known as Baba Ijesha.
The trial Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo fixed the date following the arguments of both prosecution and defendant counsel on whether the convict has met special circumstances for the court to grant him bail, pending appeal.
Two months after he was convicted, James, through his counsel, approached the court for post-conviction bail pending the determination of his appeal pending at the Lagos division of the Court of Appeal.
He was convicted for indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault of a minor between 2013 and 2014 among other offences by the court sometime in July 2022.
He was sentenced to serve a five-year concurrent jail term.
However, when the case was called for hearing Wednesday, Mr Chukwudi Adiukwu, one of the defence counsel for the convict, told the court that the team brought to notice for bail pending appeal pursuant to Section 6 (6) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
Adiukwu argued that Section 51 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), 2015 empowers the court to admit his client to the applicant to bail, either unconditionally or upon reasonable conditions.
In his explanation of the special circumstances, Adiukwu told the court that granting the application will serve justice as getting a date at the Court of Appeal might be difficult, considering the number of their (Appeal Court) dockets.
He further told the court that with the prison month calendar, the convict would have served his five years concurrent jail term within three years and six months, before the hearing might take place at the appeal court.
He added that Baba Ijesha was of good conduct before the court during his trial, and was never absent till the judgement.
The applicant’s counsel, therefore, urged the court to consider the special circumstances, at granting bail to the convict.
But in responding to his arguments, the state counsel, Mrs Omowunmi Bajulaye-Bishi told the court the applicant counsel in their address failed to establish the special circumstances as laid down in ACJL.
She prayed the court to refuse the application and allow the convict to continue his sentence as prescribed by the court.
After listening to their submission, Justice Taiwo subsequently adjourned the ruling to 19 September 2022.