The Lagos State Government has said it has listed Yoruba actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, on the sex offenders register, while clearing the air that the ex-convict was not exonerated of his sexual assault offences.
It described circulating claims that Baba Ijesha was cleared of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child as “false, misleading and irresponsible,” stressing that his conviction remains valid.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) reiterated the government’s position.
“Mr Olanrewaju James was not cleared of the offences of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child,” the agency reiterated the quote of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro.
The agency warned that assertions made by actor Yomi Fabiyi, a staunch supporter of the ex-convict, were “wholly untrue and capable of alarming the public,” urging residents and media platforms to disregard such claims.
It cautioned Mr Fabiyi and other platforms against promoting the reports to desist from circulating false claims regarding the case.
Baba Ijesha was released from prison in Lagos on Friday, after completing his full jail term of five years.
The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja convicted him in 2022 on four charges of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old minor.
Two charges attracted five years while the remaining two attracted three years. Because the court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, Baba Ijesha spent five years based on prison calendar calculation.
Name entered in the sex offenders register
The Lagos DSVA said Baba Ijesha’s name has been duly entered into the Lagos State Sex Offenders Register.
According to the agency, the step was taken “in line with Section 37 of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law 2021”.
It added that the “measure supports ongoing efforts to protect minors, strengthen accountability, and ensure accurate information is available to the public.”
The revelation of logging Baba Ijesha’s name in the register came after comedienne Damilola Adekoya, popularly known as Princess, the foster mother of the assaulted minor, urged the government to take the action in a live Instagram session on Saturday.
‘How Baba Ijesha spent full prison term’
Speaking to journalists in Lagos on Sunday, Mr Pedro, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), debunked reports claiming that Baba Ijesha was freed after being cleared by the Court of Appeal, describing the circulating narrative as “false, misleading and irresponsible.”
Mr Pedro said his office was alarmed by a social media post authored by Mr Fabiyi, which alleged that the appellate court had exonerated Baba Ijesha of all charges, including sexual offences involving a minor.
Mr Fabiyi, who has consistently called for the actor’s release, alleged that certain individuals falsified the victim’s age and “weaponised the narrative of child abuse to destroy a vulnerable target.”
The Yoruba actor insisted he has never condoned sexual abuse, particularly against children, but said he would continue to oppose selective justice and abuses of fundamental human rights.
But Mr Pedro stressed that such statements distorted the judicial record and could mislead the public.
He outlined the litigation history, noting that the High Court of Lagos State, on 14 July 2022, convicted Baba Ijesha for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child over incidents that occurred in 2021, sentencing him to five years and three years respectively, to run concurrently.
Mr Pedro said the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, in a judgement delivered on 28 June 2024, set aside convictions relating to alleged offences from 2013 to 2014 but upheld the 2021 sexual assault convictions.
Baba Ijesha later appealed to the Supreme Court, which struck out the appeal on 29 May, on grounds of incompetence.
A subsequent motion for leave to file a fresh appeal was dismissed on 9 October, leaving the Court of Appeal judgement fully intact.
He emphasised that the actor’s release from prison was strictly because he had served his full sentence as affirmed by the Court of Appeal—not because he was discharged or acquitted.
Mr Pedro warned that the Office of the Attorney-General would not hesitate to initiate criminal proceedings for publication of false news with intent to cause fear or alarm under Section 39 of the Lagos Criminal Law, should the misinformation persist.
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Backstory
The police and Lagos State authorities waded into the matter after a video showing Baba Ijesha sexually assaulting a minor went viral on 19 April 2021.
Comedienne Princess reported the assault to the Sabo Police Station in Yaba, Lagos, and the case was later transferred to the Gender Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti.
Baba Ijesha was arrested on 22 April 2021.
During the trial at the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja, the prosecution presented six witnesses. The defence presented four, including Baba Ijesha, led by two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Babatunde Ogala and Dada Awosika.
After trial which lasted over 12 months from arraignment in June 2021, trial judge Oluwatoyin Taiwo convicted Baba Ijesha of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault and attempted sexual assault.
The court said the prosecution successfully proved counts two and four: that he indecently placed her on his lap and rubbed his penis on her body.
He was found guilty of four counts altogether. While two charges attracted five years, the remaining two attracted three years. The judge ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
However, the judge discharged and acquitted him of two of the total six charges – sexual assault by penetration and attempted sexual assault by penetration.
