The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, has firmly refuted viral reports alleging that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, was acquitted of all sexual-offence charges involving a minor by the Court of Appeal.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos on Sunday, Pedro condemned the circulating claim as “false, misleading and irresponsible,” warning that it represented a deliberate distortion of court records with the potential to misinform the public.
According to him, the state became alarmed after a social media post by actor Yomi Fabiyi—later republished by an online news platform—falsely claimed that the appellate court had exonerated Baba Ijesha and labelled the entire case a charade.
“No such clearance occurred at any stage of the judicial process,” Pedro said emphatically.
He then outlined the full litigation history:
- On July 14, 2022, the Lagos State High Court convicted Baba Ijesha of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child arising from incidents in 2021, sentencing him to five and three years respectively, to run concurrently.
- While the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, on June 28, 2024, set aside convictions related to alleged offences from 2013–2014, it upheld in full the conviction and sentence for the 2021 sexual assault.
Pedro added that the matter proceeded to the Supreme Court, where the convict’s appeal was struck out on May 29, 2025, for incompetence.
A final motion seeking leave to file a fresh appeal was dismissed on October 9, 2025, leaving the Court of Appeal judgment intact.
“The conviction stands. It has never been overturned,” he stressed.
The AG explained that Baba Ijesha’s recent release from custody was strictly a result of completing his full term of imprisonment, as affirmed by the appellate court—not an acquittal.
“Mr. Olanrewaju James was not cleared of the offences of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child,” Pedro insisted.
He urged Lagos residents and the broader public to disregard the circulating misinformation and cautioned Fabiyi—as well as any platforms amplifying the falsehood—to desist immediately.
Pedro also warned that the state would not hesitate to initiate criminal proceedings for publishing false news with intent to cause fear or alarm, an offence under Section 39 of the Lagos Criminal Law, should the misinformation continue.
The Attorney-General reaffirmed Lagos State’s commitment to child protection, the enforcement of valid criminal convictions, and the accurate representation of judicial outcomes in the public space.
