Nollywood actor, Olarewaju James, alias Baba Ijesha, on Friday, told an Ikeja Special Offences Court that he was acting a script with the minor he was accused of defiling.

He made this revelation while being led in evidence by the defence counsel, Dada Awosika (SAN). Baba Ijesha told the court that the foster mother of the minor, Ms Damilola Adekoya, a comedian also known as Princess, had called and requested him to be part of the movie production.

“On April 19, 2021, Princess sent me a message that she wanted to start a production and she would like me to play the role of a lover boy which I replied ‘okay’. She said I was to play the role of a lover boy, adding that she wanted to surprise people that I can also play normal roles. She said the story is about rape and she wanted to tell the story in another dimension,” he said.

The defence counsel tendered before the court, a printout of WhatsApp message between Princess and the defendant, which was admitted into evidence by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo. The embattled actor said he asked Princess for the movie location but she told him to come over to her house. “Before I entered, Princess met me at the balcony that the movie production was a Lagos State project, adding that the state wanted her to be the face of ‘anti child molestation.’