‘Baba Ijesha was not exonerated’ – Lagos AG warns against false reports

Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, has dismissed circulating reports suggesting that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, widely known as Baba Ijesha, was released because he had been cleared by the Court of Appeal.

Pedro described the claims as false, misleading, and irresponsible.

Addressing journalists in Lagos on Sunday, the Attorney-General expressed concern over a social media post made by actor Yomi Fabiyi, who alleged that Baba Ijesha had been absolved of all charges, including those involving the sexual assault of a minor.

According to report, Pedro warned that the claims represented a “gross misrepresentation of court proceedings and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.”

He said the clarification became necessary after Fabiyi claimed the appellate court had declared the actor innocent of defiling a minor and dismissed the case as a “charade.”

Providing a timeline of the case, Pedro recalled that the Lagos State High Court, on July 14, 2022, found Baba Ijesha guilty of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child in connection with incidents that occurred in 2021.

He was sentenced to five years and three years respectively, with the terms running concurrently.

He noted that on June 28, 2024, the Court of Appeal delivered judgment on the actor’s challenge to the conviction.

While the court overturned charges related to alleged offences between 2013 and 2014, it affirmed both the conviction and the sentence imposed for the 2021 sexual assault.

Pedro added that Baba Ijesha proceeded to the Supreme Court, but his appeal was struck out on May 29, 2025, for being incompetent.

A later application seeking permission to file a fresh appeal was similarly dismissed on October 9, 2025. As a result, the judgment of the Court of Appeal remains final and fully effective.

The Attorney-General stressed that the actor regained his freedom solely because he completed his prison term as upheld by the appellate court, not because he was discharged, acquitted, or cleared of wrongdoing.

“Mr Olanrewaju James was never exonerated of sexual assault or the indecent treatment of a child,” Pedro said, adding that Fabiyi’s assertions were baseless and capable of causing unwarranted public concern.

He urged the public to disregard the misleading reports and cautioned Fabiyi, as well as media platforms circulating the claims, to cease immediately.

Pedro also warned that the Ministry of Justice “will not hesitate to prosecute anyone found publishing false information with the intent to cause fear or alarm,” an offence punishable under Section 39 of the Lagos Criminal Law.