The Lagos State Government, through its Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, has debunked reports claiming that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, was freed after being cleared by the Court of Appeal. He described the claims as “false, misleading, and irresponsible.”
Pedro said his office was alarmed by a social media post by actor Yomi Fabiyi, which alleged that Baba Ijesha had been exonerated of all charges, including sexual offences involving a minor.
The legal expert, who disclosed this on Sunday, warned that such claims were a “complete distortion of the judicial record and capable of misleading the public.”
He explained that clarification became necessary after Fabiyi claimed the Court of Appeal had “cleared” the convict of ever defiling a minor and labelled the case a “charade.”
The Attorney-General outlined the legal history, noting that the High Court of Lagos State, on July 14, 2022, convicted Baba Ijesha for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child over incidents in 2021, sentencing him to five years and three years respectively, to run concurrently.
He added, ”On June 28, 2024, the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, delivered judgment on his appeal. While the court set aside convictions relating to alleged offences from 2013–2014, it upheld the conviction and sentence for the 2021 sexual assault charges.”
The commissioner said Baba Ijesha pursued a Supreme Court appeal, which was struck out on May 29, 2025, for incompetence.
He said a subsequent motion for leave to file a fresh appeal was dismissed on October 9, 2025, leaving the Court of Appeal judgment fully intact.
Pedro emphasised that the actor’s release was solely because he had completed his full term of imprisonment, as affirmed by the Court of Appeal, not because he was discharged or acquitted.
“Mr. Olanrewaju James was not cleared of the offences of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child,” Pedro said, warning that Fabiyi’s claims were untrue and capable of alarming the public.
Pedro urged Lagos residents to disregard the circulating reports and cautioned Fabiyi and platforms amplifying the falsehood to desist immediately.
He also noted that the Office of the Attorney-General “will not hesitate to initiate criminal proceedings for publication of false news with intent to cause fear or alarm, an offence under Section 39 of the Lagos Criminal Law.”
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