Lagos AG Debunks Claims of Baba Ijesha’s Acquittal, Warns Against Misinformation

Lagos AG Debunks Claims of Baba Ijesha’s Acquittal, Warns Against Misinformation

The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), has dismissed reports circulating on social media that actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, was released after being cleared by the Court of Appeal.

Pedro described the claims—initially made in a social media post by actor Yomi Fabiyi and later repeated by an online platform—as “false, misleading and irresponsible.” He said the narrative was a deliberate distortion of judicial records capable of misleading the public.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos on Sunday, the Attorney-General said no court at any stage of the case discharged or acquitted the embattled actor of the sexual offences for which he was convicted.

He explained that the Lagos State High Court had, on July 14, 2022, found Baba Ijesha guilty of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child over incidents that occurred in 2021. The convict was sentenced to five and three years imprisonment respectively, to run concurrently.

Pedro noted that the Court of Appeal judgment of June 28, 2024, only set aside convictions related to alleged offences said to have occurred between 2013 and 2014, but upheld the conviction and sentence for the 2021 sexual assault.

He further disclosed that Baba Ijesha’s appeal to the Supreme Court was struck out on May 29, 2025, for incompetence, while a subsequent bid to file a fresh appeal was dismissed by the apex court on October 9, 2025. As a result, the Court of Appeal judgment remains fully in force.

According to the Attorney-General, the convict’s release was solely due to the completion of his prison term, not because he had been exonerated.

“Mr. Olanrewaju James was not cleared of the offences of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child,” Pedro stressed, warning that the spread of false claims was capable of causing public alarm.

He urged residents to disregard the circulating misinformation and cautioned Fabiyi—along with any outlet amplifying the claims—to desist. He added that the state government would not hesitate to initiate criminal proceedings for publication of false news with intent to cause fear or alarm, as provided under Section 39 of the Lagos Criminal Law.

Pedro reaffirmed the state’s commitment to child protection, the enforcement of valid criminal judgments, and the accurate representation of judicial outcomes in the public space.

Lagos AG Debunks Claims of Baba Ijesha’s Acquittal, Warns Against Misinformation