A court has granted bail to a popular Nigerian actor accused of sexually assaulting a teenager.
In Ikeja, the Lagos State High Court granted Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly called Baba Ijesha, bail on Thursday afternoon.
The actor was arraigned before the Special Offences Court in Lagos on charges of sexual assault, indecent treatment of a child, and sexual assault by penetration. Oluwatoyin Taiwo, the judge, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N2 million.
Mrs Taiwo said bail is a constitutional right and not a discretionary right.
She said granting him bail is to release him from the custody of the law and entrust him to appear for trial when required to.
“The freedom is temporary in the sense that it lasts only for the period of trial.
“The defendant is hereby granted bail in the sum of N2million and two sureties in like sum. One of the surety must be a blood relation of the applicant with clear proof of this relationship and must be resident in Lagos State and shall present evidence of having paid income tax in Lagos State in the last three years.
“The second surety shall be a legal practitioner as suggested by the defence counsel. The surety shall present evidence of bar and shall swear an oath to affidavit,” Mrs Taiwo said.
She added that the legal practitioner must have a residence and an office address in Lagos and enter a monetary bond of N1 million to be deposited with the chief registrar who shall approve the surety.
Baba Ijesha has been in detention since April 22.
The trial was adjourned to July 27.
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