Online rumors claiming Nollywood star Olanrewaju James, better known by his stage name Baba Ijesha, was set free after being “cleared” by the Court of Appeal have been refuted by Lawal Pedro (SAN), the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
Pedro, who spoke with reporters in Lagos on Sunday, called the accusations “false, misleading, and irresponsible.” The reports were first circulated by actor Yomi Fabiyi and then replicated online.
He claimed that the allegations could deceive the public and amounted to a misrepresentation of court records.
Pedro explained that the Court of Appeal did not clear Baba Ijesha of the sexual offenses for which he was found guilty in 2022, despite what some people have suggested on social media.
“Mr. Olanrewaju James was not cleared of the offenses of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child,” he stated.
The clarification, according to the Attorney-General, came after Fabiyi claimed that the appeal court had deemed the entire case a “charade.”
On July 14, 2022, Pedro described the case’s whole court proceedings: Baba Ijesha was found guilty of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child in 2021 by the Lagos State High Court. He was given concurrent five-year and three-year sentences.
June 28, 2024: The conviction and sentence for the 2021 sexual assault were confirmed by the Court of Appeal, however convictions pertaining to alleged offenses from 2013–2014 were thrown aside.
May 29, 2025 Baba Ijesha’s Supreme Court appeal was dismissed due to incompetence.
October 9, 2025: The Court of Appeal’s decision was upheld after his request for permission to launch a further appeal was denied.
Pedro emphasized that the actor’s release did not result from an acquittal, but rather by serving out his entire sentence.
He chastised Yomi Fabiyi and others for disseminating the false information, cautioning that doing so could lead to needless anxiety and misunderstanding among the general people.
Citing Section 39 of the Lagos Criminal Law, he declared that the Office of the Attorney-General would not think twice about prosecuting the dissemination of false information meant to frighten the people.
He emphasized the state’s steadfast commitment to child protection and the effective enforcement of criminal convictions while urging the public to ignore the false accusations.
Pedro reaffirmed that Lagos would keep protecting children and making sure that the results of court cases are fairly reflected.
He went on to say that by spreading unsubstantiated assertions, no person or platform should minimize crimes against minors.
