The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, has debunked reports claiming that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, was freed after being cleared by the Court of Appeal. He described the claims as “false, misleading and irresponsible.”
Speaking to journalists in Lagos on Sunday, Pedro said his office was alarmed by a social media post by actor Yomi Fabiyi, which alleged that Baba Ijesha had been exonerated of all charges, including sexual offences involving a minor.
Pedro warned that such claims were a “complete distortion of the judicial record and capable of misleading the public.”
He explained that clarification became necessary after Fabiyi claimed the Court of Appeal had “cleared” the convict of ever defiling a minor and labelled the case a “charade.”
The Attorney-General outlined the legal history, noting that the High Court of Lagos State, on July 14, 2022, convicted Baba Ijesha for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child over incidents in 2021, sentencing him to five years and three years respectively, to run concurrently.
He added, ”On June 28, 2024, the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, delivered judgment on his appeal.
“While the court set aside convictions relating to alleged offences from 2013–2014, it upheld the conviction and sentence for the 2021 sexual assault charges.”
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