The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, has dismissed reports claiming that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, was cleared by the Court of Appeal, describing the claims as “false, misleading and irresponsible.”
Pedro raised the alarm on Sunday while reacting to a viral post by actor Yomi Fabiyi, who alleged that Baba Ijesha had been exonerated of all charges, including the sexual assault of a minor.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos, the Attorney-General said Fabiyi’s assertions amounted to a “complete distortion of the judicial record” and posed a risk of misleading the public.
He clarified that the Lagos High Court, on July 14, 2022, convicted Baba Ijesha 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.
Pedro noted that while the Court of Appeal on June 28, 2024, set aside convictions related to alleged offences from 2013–2014, it upheld the conviction and sentence for the 2021 sexual assault case.
He added that Baba Ijesha’s subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court was struck out on May 29, 2025, and a later motion for leave to file a fresh appeal was dismissed on October 9, 2025, leaving the appellate court judgment fully standing.
According to Pedro, the actor’s release was strictly because he had completed his term of imprisonment as affirmed by the Court of Appeal, stressing that “Mr. Olanrewaju James was not cleared of the offences of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child.”
He warned that Yomi Fabiyi’s claims were untrue, dangerous, and capable of causing public alarm, adding that Lagos residents should disregard the circulating reports.
Pedro also cautioned that the Office of the Attorney-General would not hesitate to initiate criminal proceedings against individuals or platforms publishing false news with intent to cause fear or alarm, an offence under Section 39 of the Lagos Criminal Law.
Meanwhile, comedienne Damilola Adekoya, known as Princess, has urged the Lagos State government and the Department of Justice to include Baba Ijesha’s name in the s*x offender register following his release.
