Police in Lagos have spoken about why detained actor Lanrewaju Omiyinka, aka Baba Ijesha, cannot be released on bail.
He has been in detention since about three weeks ago after he was accused of defiling a mirror who is a foster child of a comedienne, Princess.
Some people, including a fellow actor, Yomi Fabiyi; and lawyer Adesina Ogunlana, have been pressing fro his bail.
The police have, however, said this is no more within their power.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, made the disclosure to newsmen on Friday at the Police Public Relations Office, Oduduwa, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos State.
Adejobi said that the DPP advised the police to still detain Baba Ijesha, because the case against him, according to legal advice, was 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.
“So, Baba Ijesha is being kept with the police not within our own power, but because of the legal advice from the DPP pending when Baba Ijesha’s case will be charged to court.
“If the DPP had advised us to release Baba Ijesha, we would have released him,” the spokesperson said.
According to Adejobi, Baba Ijesha’s case was initially bailable, based on the statement that his offence was based on indecent assault which was a bailable offence.
“However, after the DPP investigated the case file, the police advised not to release Baba Ijesha on bail pending when he will be charged to court.
“The DPP said that there were a number of cases Baba Ijesha would be charged for, particularly sexual assault by penetration, which is a serious offence,” he said.
In addition, Adejobi said that police cells were managed and decongested to avoid overcrowding inmates.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, he said that most of the cases currently at their disposal were bailable offences and they had been bailed while unbailable cases that were not yet in court, were 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 made up offenders in police custody were pending cases attached to 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.
