The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, has dismissed recent claims that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, was acquitted of s+xual offences involving a minor.
Addressing journalists in Lagos on Sunday, Pedro described the reports as “false, misleading, and irresponsible,” warning that they distort the official judicial record and could mislead the public. He specifically referenced a social media post by actor Yomi Fabiyi, later shared by an online publication, which falsely suggested Baba Ijesha had been exonerated and that the entire case was a sham.
Pedro emphasized that “no such clearance ever occurred at any stage of the judicial process” and provided a clear summary of the litigation history:
• On July 14, 2022, the Lagos State High Court convicted Baba Ijesha of s+xual assa¥lt and indecent treatment of a child for incidents that occurred in 2021, sentencing him to five and three years respectively, to run concurrently.
• The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, on June 28, 2024, set aside convictions related to alleged offences from 2013–2014 but upheld the 2021 conviction and sentence.
• A subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court was struck out on May 29, 2025, due to procedural incompetence.
• A final motion for leave to file a fresh appeal was dismissed on October 9, 2025, leaving the Court of Appeal’s affirmation of the 2021 conviction intact.
Pedro clarified that Baba Ijesha’s release was solely because he had served his full 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 stressed.
Pedro concluded by reaffirming the state’s commitment to child protection, upholding cr+minal convictions, and ensuring that judicial outcomes are accurately reported.
