The Lagos Attorney-General has dismissed claims that Baba Ijesha was cleared by the Court of Appeal, stressing that his release followed the completion of his sentence, not an acquittal.
The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, has refuted online reports suggesting that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, was freed after being cleared by the Court of Appeal. Pedro described the claims as “false, misleading and irresponsible.”
Addressing journalists in Lagos on Sunday, Pedro said his office was alarmed by a social media post by actor Yomi Fabiyi alleging that Baba Ijesha had been exonerated of all charges, including sexual offences involving a minor. He stated that the post was a “complete distortion of the judicial record and capable of misleading the public.”
Providing legal clarification, the Attorney-General recalled that the High Court of Lagos State convicted Baba Ijesha on July 14, 2022, for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child over incidents in 2021, sentencing him to five and three years respectively, to run concurrently. He noted that the Court of Appeal, on June 28, 2024, only set aside convictions relating to alleged offences from 2013–2014, but upheld the 2021 conviction and sentence.
Pedro said the actor’s appeal to the Supreme Court was struck out on May 29, 2025, and a later motion for leave to file a fresh appeal was dismissed on October 9, 2025.
He stressed that Baba Ijesha’s release resulted solely from completing his full term, not acquittal, warning that spreading false claims could trigger legal action.
PUNCH Online also reported that comedienne Princess urged the Lagos authorities to place his name on the sex offender register.