Nigerian entertainer, Omiyinka Olanrewaju, prevalently known as Baba Ijesha, was on Wednesday summoned at a judge court at Yaba, Lagos State. 

The entertainer is being tried over charges of decent treatment of a child, defilement of a Child, sexual assault by penetration, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault.

Mr Olanrewaju was brought into the premises of the justice court around 12 early afternoon, and close by different suspects. 

He was limping and apparently shaking – an appearance which proposes an poor medical care.

Not long after his appearance, he was charged before P.E Nwaka, a Magistrate at the Yaba justice court. 

Olanrewaju plead not guilty to all counts.

The judge noticing him showing signs of uneasiness in the witness box asked “Are you okay? Do you want to sit down? Give him a chair to sit on,” the magistrate said.

Giving his submission, the prosecutor in the matter, S.A Adebesin told the magistrate that information had been filed before the High Court on the matter by the state prosecution.

Following the submission, the counsel to the defendant, Kayode Olabiran made a fresh application for the bail of Mr Olanrewaju.

Supporting the application for bail for his customer, Mr Olabiran said the entertainer has stayed in police guardianship since one of the bail conditions is yet to be met. 

“On May 17, the Ministry of Justice, the Judiciary, the NBA and the police took an initiate to decongest jam-packed cells across the State. My client was one of the beneficiaries and the conditions given are two sureties, one must be a blood relation and another surety not less than level 16 in the Lagos State government civil service.

“The elder brother to the defendant has appeared as a surety and we have paid the N500, 000 bail bond to the account of the Lagos State government but we have not been able to get level 16 officer to stand as surety,” Mr Olabiran said.

“The level 16 officers are afraid of being issued a query and a level 16 is an Assistant Director and upward, they are scarce commodities.

“We are applying for bail on a compassionate ground and in the interest of justice,” Mr Olabiran said, urging the magistrate to consider the visibly ill health of his client 

Mr Nwaka said he can't allow the accused bail on the grounds that there are signs that the case will begin at the High court. 

This is a situation of a lack of jurisdiction, because once a case is filed at an upper court, the lower court, being the magistrate in this case, ceases to have jurisdiction over the same matter.

“I have carefully considered the application of the counsel to the defendant seeking bail for the defendant and the opposition by the counsel from the DPP.

“Since there are indications that the matter is before the high court and the defendant will appear before the court, no bail can be given.

“The defendant must be accorded full medical attention by the authorities pending his arraignment at the high court,” the magistrate said.

Mr Nwaka adjourned the matter till July 13.