The Lagos State Government has dismissed as false the circulating reports that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, known as Baba Ijesha, was released after being acquitted by the Court of Appeal.
The state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), described the claims—widely shared on social media—as “false, misleading and irresponsible.”
Addressing journalists on Sunday, Pedro said his office was alarmed by a post made by actor Yomi Fabiyi, which suggested that Baba Ijesha had been exonerated of all charges, including the sexual offences involving a minor.
According to him, the assertions amount to a “complete distortion of the judicial record and are capable of misleading the public.”
Pedro provided a detailed clarification of the case history. He explained that on July 14, 2022, the Lagos State High Court convicted Baba Ijesha of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child over incidents that occurred in 2021. He was sentenced to five and three years imprisonment respectively, to run concurrently.
On June 28, 2024, the Court of Appeal set aside convictions relating to alleged offences from 2013–2014 but affirmed the conviction and sentence for the 2021 sexual assault charges.
Pedro further noted that Baba Ijesha’s subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court was struck out on May 29, 2025, for incompetence, while his application for permission to file a fresh appeal was dismissed on October 9, 2025. This left the Court of Appeal judgment intact.
He stressed that the actor’s recent release from custody was strictly because he had completed his prison term, not because he was acquitted.
“Mr. Olanrewaju James was not cleared of the offences of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child,” the Attorney-General stated.
He urged residents to disregard the misleading reports and warned Fabiyi and media platforms circulating the misinformation to desist.
Pedro added that the Office of the Attorney-General would not hesitate to initiate criminal proceedings for the publication of false news intended to cause fear or alarm, an offence under Section 39 of the Lagos Criminal Law.
