The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, has denied claims that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesa, was discharged and acquitted by the Court of Appeal.
Pedro said the claim peddled by Baba Ijesa’s friend and colleague, Yomi Fabiyi, is “false, misleading and irresponsible.”
The Attorney-General briefed journalists in Lagos on Sunday, Pedro, stating that his office was alarmed by a social media post by Fabiyi, alleging that Baba Ijesa had been cleared of sexual offences involving a minor.
Pedro said such claims were a distortion of the judicial record and were capable of misleading the public.
He said it was alarming for Fabiyi to claim that the trial of Baba Ijesa for defiling a minor was a charade.
Going over the case, Pedro recalled that the High Court of Lagos State, on July 14, 2022, convicted Baba Ijesa for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child over incidents in 2021.
He said the actor was sentenced to five years and three years, respectively, to run concurrently.
The Attorney General further stated that the convict proceeded to the Court of Appeal, and that on June 28, 2024, the appellate court, Lagos Division, delivered judgment on his appeal.
He asserted that the court set aside convictions relating to alleged offences from 2013–2014, but upheld the conviction and sentence for the 2021 sexual assault charges.
According to him, the convict filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, but it was struck out on May 29, 2025, for incompetence.
Pedro said the convict approached the apex court with a subsequent motion for leave to file a fresh appeal, but this too was dismissed on October 9, 2025, leaving the Court of Appeal judgment fully intact.
He said Baba Ijesa was released solely because he had completed his full term of imprisonment, as affirmed by the Court of Appeal, not because he was discharged or acquitted.
Pedro urged members of the public to disregard the false narratives being pushed by Fabiyi, while cautioning him to stop spreading falsehood.
The commissioner said his office would not hesitate to initiate criminal proceedings against anyone publishing false news with the intent to cause fear or alarm, an offence under Section 39 of the Lagos Criminal Law.
