Baba Ijesha Not Cleared of Sexual Assault, Lagos Government

• Contrary to online rumors, Lagos State Government has confirmed that Nollywood actor Baba Ijesha was released after serving his jail term, not because he was acquitted of sexual assault charges.

The Lagos State Government has dismissed widespread claims that actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, was released after being cleared of sexual assault charges.

Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, called the reports “false, misleading, and irresponsible,” noting that the narrative—amplified online by actor Yomi Fabiyi—distorted judicial records and could mislead the public.

Pedro clarified that Baba Ijesha was not acquitted of the sexual assault and child molestation convictions for which he was sentenced in 2022. On July 14, 2022, the Lagos State High Court sentenced him to five years for sexual assault and three years for indecent treatment of a child, to run concurrently.

The Court of Appeal reviewed the case on June 28, 2024, setting aside convictions from 2013–2014, but upheld the sentence for the 2021 offences. Subsequent Supreme Court actions in May and October 2025 were also dismissed.

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Pedro emphasized that Baba Ijesha’s release was solely because he completed his prison term, not because he was discharged or acquitted. He warned that spreading false judicial information is an offence under Section 39 of the Lagos Criminal Law.

Comedienne and actress Princess Damilola Adekoya, involved in the case, also called on the Lagos State Government to publish Baba Ijesha’s name in the sex offenders register, urging accountability.