Alleged Rape: How Baba Ijesha met, dated Princess – Witness, Pastor Jerosi

Popular comedian and entertainer, Ogunbayo Oluwakayode, also known as Pastor Jerosi has revealed how Baba Ijesha met and dated comedienne, Damilola Adekoya alias Princess.

Led in evidence by a co-defence counsel, Kayode Olabiran, Pastor Jerosi told the court on Friday, that he worked with Baba Ijesha for over 15 years in the entertainment industry.

He revealed this when he testified at Baba Ijesha’s alleged rape trial at the Special Offences Court, Ikeja Lagos.

During Friday’s proceedings, the defence counsel, Dada Awosika, notified the court that Pastor Jerosi was the trial’s fourth and last defence witness.

Baba Ijesha has been enmeshed in a messy rape scandal with Princess’ foster daughter after he was arrested on April 22, 2021.

Earlier, Pastor Jerosi, in his evidence, claimed Baba Ijesha and Princess were in a relationship.

On March 4, Baba Ijesha confirmed that Princess was his lover during the last hearing.

He also said the alleged rape incident that led to his arrest was a mere movie script, a statement Princess is yet to dispute.

Pastor Jerosi said he worked with a team of five presenters, Baba Latin, Baba Ijesha, the late Baba Suwe, and Princess, who anchored different programmes on radio.

He, however, clarified that Princess was not always part of the team, not until she called their hotline during one of the shows he anchored ‘’Órisun’’ and requested to join them.

Pastor Jerosi told the court that all along, he was unaware that they were an item.

He said:

“Sometime in April 2015, Princess called Baba Ijesha, then I was with him, and she said she had a surprise for him. We had just finished a program in Ogun, and we were heading to Ltv for another, but Baba Ijesha insisted that we visit Princess and see what the surprise was. So I drove Baba Ijesha to Princess’ house somewhere in Aguda Surulere, and Princess was already waiting for him when we got there alongside a man and an aged woman who happened to be her mother. So Baba Ijesha got down from the car and greeted the old woman while I remained inside the car.”

” After a while, Baba Ijesha came out from the house in the old woman’s company, and I heard the old woman say,’ please take care of Damilola. I know she can be stubborn.”

“I had always had my guesses about Baba Ijesha and Princess, but I wasn’t sure, but on seeing this, It seemed as though Baba Ijesha had gone for an introduction. So when Baba Ijesha got into the car, I finally popped the question, ” are you dating Princess?”

Jokingly, Baba Ijesha said he was dating Princess, but she was taking the relationship too far,” the witness said.

Pastor Jerosi said he warned Baba Ijesha that Princess could have taken the relationship too seriously, but Ijesha didn’t listen.

Cross-Examination

Princess, who was absent at the hearing, was represented by her lawyer Y.A Sule.

Mr Sule argued that Pastor Jerosi’s testimony was out of place with the case because he was absent at Princess’ 13, Wabe street, Iwaya Lagos, home on April 19, 202,2, when Baba Ijesha allegedly raped a minor.

Baba Ijesha was arraigned on June 24, 2021, and six prosecution witnesses have since testified against him.

They are comedienne Princess, the 14-year-old minor, a child expert; Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a medical doctor; Aniekan Makanjuola, the Investigating Police Officer Wahab Kareem and a policewoman, Abigail Omane.

The DPP closed its case against the defendant on Dec. 15, 2021, while Baba Ijesha opened his defence on Feb. 17.

The case was adjourned to June 6 for prosecution and defence counsel to adopt their final written addresses.