The Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Lagos State Ministry of Justice, has stalled any possibility of releasing Olanrewaju James, popularly known as, “Baba Ijesha” on bail stating that he has criminal charges to answer.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said yesterday, that the DPP advised the police to hold on to Baba Ijesha, because the case against him, according to legal advice, is sexual assault by penetration, pending when he would be charged to court.
“Invariably sexual assault is more like defilement too, considering the age of the victim,” he said.
“So, Baba Ijesha is being kept with the police not within our own power, but because of the legal advice from the DPP. If the DPP had advised us to release Baba Ijesha, we would have released him.”
“After the DPP investigated the case file, the police advised us not to release Baba Ijesha on bail pending when he will be charged to court.
“The DPP said there are a number of cases Baba Ijesha will be charged for, particularly sexual assault by penetration, which is a serious offense.”
In addition, Adejobi said that police cells were managed and decongested to avoid overcrowding.
He said that most of the cases currently at their disposal are bailable offenses and they have been bailed while detainees that are not yet in court have been 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.
He, however, said that several cases that make up offenders in police custody were pending cases attached to the court and still within the police facilities.
“As a result of the COVID-19 test, we can’t take them to correctional centres.
“But they will be within our custody which makes up a number of cases we have now,” the police spokesperson said.
Baba Ijesha was arrested in April for defiling a minor.
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