By Peter Dansu The Lagos State Government has stepped forward to set the record straight after rumours spread online claiming that Nollywo...
By Peter Dansu
The Lagos State Government has stepped forward to set the record straight after rumours spread online claiming that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, widely known as Baba Ijesha, had been acquitted by the Court of Appeal. The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, said the claims were simply false and capable of misleading the public.
Pedro, who spoke with journalists in Lagos on Sunday, said the government was disturbed by a social media post from actor Yomi Fabiyi, suggesting that Baba Ijesha had been cleared of all charges, including sexual offences involving a minor. He described the post as a complete misrepresentation of the facts.
According to him, Baba Ijesha was convicted by the Lagos High Court on July 14, 2022, for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child over incidents that happened in 2021. He was sentenced to five and three years, to run concurrently, and that conviction still stands.
Pedro explained that when the case went before the Court of Appeal on June 28, 2024, the court only set aside convictions relating to earlier allegations from 2013 to 2014 but fully upheld the conviction for the 2021 sexual assault. In other words, the key conviction that sent the actor to prison was never overturned.
He added that Baba Ijesha took the matter to the Supreme Court, but his appeal was struck out on May 29, 2025. A later attempt to file a fresh appeal was also dismissed on October 9, 2025, leaving the Court of Appeal judgment untouched.
Pedro made it clear that Baba Ijesha’s release had nothing to do with being cleared by any court. He walked out of prison simply because he had finished serving his sentence. The Attorney-General stressed that the actor was not acquitted of the offences of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child.
He urged the public to ignore the circulating claims and warned those spreading false information to desist, adding that the state would not hesitate to prosecute anyone who publishes misleading news intended to create panic.
Meanwhile, comedian and actress Princess, who was at the centre of the case from the beginning, reacted to Baba Ijesha’s release during an Instagram live session on Saturday. She called on the Lagos State Government and the Ministry of Justice to place his name on the sex offender register and said she would be waiting for updates on the matter.
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