‘Baba Ijesha Was NEVER Cleared!’ – Lagos Govt Threatens Action Over Viral Lies

The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, has dismissed claims circulating online that actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, was cleared by the Court of Appeal, describing the reports as “false, misleading and irresponsible.”

Pedro, speaking to journalists in Lagos on Sunday, said his office was disturbed by a social media post authored by actor Yomi Fabiyi and reproduced by an online publication alleging that the Court of Appeal had exonerated Baba Ijesha of all charges, including sexual offences involving a minor. He said the statement was a complete distortion of judicial records and capable of misleading the public.

He explained that Fabiyi’s claims suggesting that the appellate court “cleared” the convict of ever defiling a minor and declaring the prosecution a “charade” were wholly untrue, insisting that no such clearance occurred at any point in the judicial process.

Pedro outlined the full trajectory of the case to correct the misinformation. He noted that the Lagos High Court on July 14, 2022, convicted the actor for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child over incidents that occurred in 2021, sentencing him to five and three years respectively, to run concurrently.

According to him, the Court of Appeal, in its June 28, 2024 judgment, only set aside convictions related to alleged offences from 2013–2014 but upheld the conviction and sentence for the 2021 sexual assault charges.

The Attorney-General added that Baba Ijesha’s attempt to challenge the decision at the Supreme Court ended after the apex court struck out his appeal on May 29, 2025, for incompetence. A later request for leave to file a fresh appeal was also dismissed on October 9, 2025, leaving the appellate court’s judgment untouched.

Pedro stressed that the actor’s recent release had nothing to do with any judicial clearance but simply because he had served his full sentence as affirmed by the Court of Appeal.

“Mr. Olanrewaju James was not cleared of the offences of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child,” he said, warning that Fabiyi’s assertions were baseless and capable of causing public alarm.

He urged Lagos residents to disregard the circulating claims and cautioned Fabiyi and any platform amplifying the falsehood to desist immediately.

Pedro warned that the state would not hesitate to initiate criminal proceedings for the publication of false news with intent to cause fear or alarm, an offence under Section 39 of the Lagos Criminal Law, should the misinformation continue.