Bolaji Amusan, popularly known as Mr Latin and National President of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria, has reacted after actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka, better known as Baba Ijesha, accused him of distancing himself and repeatedly ignoring his calls following his release from prison.
The controversy resurfaced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, after videos and interviews containing Baba Ijesha’s comments circulated online. The Yoruba actor said he attempted to reconnect with Mr Latin after regaining his freedom but repeatedly received responses that his colleague was busy or attending meetings.
Baba Ijesha said he called Mr Latin more than 25 times.
He described Mr Latin as someone he had regarded as a brother and recalled the support the TAMPAN president had given him before his legal troubles.
At an event in Ogun State, Baba Ijesha went further, describing Mr Latin as an “opportunist” while expressing frustration over what he regarded as his colleague’s unwillingness to associate closely with him after his release.
“Mr Latin, you need to calm down. You are an opportunist,” Baba Ijesha said, before repeating his claim that he had called more than 25 times.
Despite the criticism, Baba Ijesha also acknowledged positive aspects of their relationship.
In a separate interview with Kasnaty TV, he described Mr Latin as a brother and said they were both from Osun State.
He recalled that Mr Latin had helped facilitate his first trip to London and said he preferred to remember the good things his colleague had done for him rather than allow their current disagreement to erase their history.
Baba Ijesha suggested that Mr Latin's reluctance to associate with him after prison could be connected to concerns about public reaction.
He described the TAMPAN president as a good person but said he believed Mr Latin was afraid of becoming involved in controversy.
Mr Latin has now responded, but rather than engage Baba Ijesha allegation by allegation, he declined to enter into a public dispute.
Premium Times reported that when contacted over the allegations, the TAMPAN president said he would not comment on the matter.
His decision not to respond in detail means Baba Ijesha’s account of the unanswered calls remains his own version of events rather than an established account accepted by both men.
The disagreement has renewed attention on a controversy that divided sections of Nigeria’s entertainment industry several years ago.
Baba Ijesha was arrested in April 2021 after allegations involving the foster daughter of comedian Damilola Adekoya, popularly known as Princess.
He was subsequently arraigned before the Lagos State High Court on charges including sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child.
In July 2022, the court convicted Baba Ijesha and imposed prison sentences, including a 16-year term. Because some of the sentences were ordered to run concurrently, the headline figure did not mean he would necessarily remain imprisoned for 16 calendar years.
The case generated considerable controversy within Nollywood.
Actors and filmmakers publicly disagreed over how the industry should respond, with some demanding strong action against Baba Ijesha while others questioned aspects of the investigation and prosecution.
Mr Latin, as TAMPAN president, became one of the prominent industry figures drawn into the debate.
At the time, he publicly condemned sexual abuse but also clarified that Baba Ijesha was not a registered TAMPAN member and therefore could not formally be suspended by the association.
Baba Ijesha has now said he was not angry about Mr Latin's comments during that period.
His present complaint focuses primarily on what happened after he left prison and his unsuccessful attempts to restore their previous relationship.
Baba Ijesha was released from prison on November 14, 2025.
His release subsequently became the subject of significant misinformation, particularly claims that an appellate court had completely cleared him of the offences.
The Lagos State Government later issued a formal clarification rejecting that interpretation.
Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Lawal Pedro, SAN, said Baba Ijesha was not released because the Court of Appeal had completely overturned his conviction.
According to the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, the Court of Appeal had set aside some convictions but affirmed others relating to sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child.
Baba Ijesha subsequently sought permission to pursue a fresh appeal at the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court dismissed that application on October 9, 2025, leaving the Court of Appeal judgment in place.
The Lagos Attorney-General said Baba Ijesha was released because he had completed the imprisonment term affirmed by the appellate court.
That clarification is important to the latest disagreement.
Baba Ijesha is legally entitled to rebuild his personal and professional life after completing his sentence, but his release does not mean the convictions that remained after the appeal disappeared.
Likewise, his previous friendship with Mr Latin does not create a legal obligation for the TAMPAN president to maintain the same relationship with him following his release.
The matter is therefore primarily a personal and professional disagreement rather than a question of whether one actor is legally required to associate with another.
Baba Ijesha’s comments nevertheless raise a broader issue about what happens when entertainers who have served criminal sentences attempt to return to public life.
A completed prison sentence satisfies the punishment imposed by the criminal justice system, but professional organisations, colleagues, audiences and employers can still make individual decisions about future relationships and collaborations, subject to applicable law.
For TAMPAN, the situation carries additional sensitivity because Mr Latin is not responding merely as an actor.
As national president of an industry association, his public actions can be interpreted as reflecting institutional attitudes even where he is acting personally.
That may partly explain why his refusal to engage in a public exchange with Baba Ijesha is significant.
Rather than confirm or deny every allegation concerning their private communications, Mr Latin has chosen not to publicly debate the matter.
Baba Ijesha, meanwhile, has presented a more complicated picture of their relationship than the word “neglect” alone might suggest.
While accusing Mr Latin of avoiding him and calling him an opportunist, he has simultaneously acknowledged their previous friendship, credited him with helping his career and said he does not intend to forget the assistance he received.
He has also said he does not hold a grudge over everything that happened during his legal troubles.
Those comments suggest that the dispute concerns a relationship that has become strained rather than two colleagues who have always been hostile to one another.
Whether the pair eventually reconcile remains a private decision for both men.
What can presently be established is that Baba Ijesha says he repeatedly tried to contact Mr Latin after leaving prison and believes the TAMPAN president deliberately kept his distance.
Mr Latin, when approached about those accusations, declined to respond publicly.
The history surrounding Baba Ijesha’s conviction also remains relevant: he was released after serving the imprisonment term that remained following his appeal, not because the entire case against him was erased.
For now, Mr Latin appears unwilling to turn Baba Ijesha’s public criticism into a prolonged exchange.
His response has effectively been silence on the substance of the accusations, leaving Baba Ijesha’s claims about their private interactions unconfirmed from the other side.
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