Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Henry Owen
The Lagos State Government has firmly dismissed viral reports suggesting that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, has been acquitted of sexual offences involving a minor. The clarification was issued on Sunday by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, who described the claims as “false, misleading, and irresponsible.”
Pedro said the misinformation—triggered by a social media post from actor Yomi Fabiyi and later reproduced by an online publication—misrepresented judicial facts and risked confusing the public. He stressed that “no such clearance ever occurred at any stage of the judicial process,” warning that rewriting legal history undermines public trust in the justice system.
Providing a detailed breakdown of the case, the Attorney-General reaffirmed that Baba Ijesha’s 2021 conviction for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child remains fully intact. He recalled that the Lagos State High Court convicted the actor on July 14, 2022, for offences committed in 2021, sentencing him to five and three years imprisonment, to run concurrently.
He explained that subsequent court proceedings did not overturn the 2021 conviction. While the Court of Appeal, in June 2024, set aside charges related to alleged offences from 2013–2014, it upheld the 2021 conviction and sentence. A later appeal to the Supreme Court in May 2025 was struck out for procedural incompetence, and the final attempt to file a fresh appeal was dismissed on October 9, 2025.
Pedro emphasized that Baba Ijesha regained freedom solely because he completed his sentence, not because he was acquitted. “Mr. Olanrewaju James was not cleared of s+xual as+a¥lt or indecent treatment of a child,” he stated.
He concluded by assuring Lagos residents that the state remains committed to protecting children, upholding valid criminal convictions, and ensuring that court judgments are accurately reported.
The real issue, the Attorney-General stressed, is the need for responsible reporting and the protection of minors—core values that must never be compromised by misinformation.
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