The Lagos State Government has issued a stern correction to claims that actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, was exonerated of sexual assault charges, clarifying that he was released from prison only because he had completed his court-affirmed jail term.
The clarification was made by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), on Sunday. He described the circulating claims, notably propagated by actor Yomi Fabiyi, as “false, misleading and irresponsible.” Fabiyi had taken to his Instagram page on Friday to announce Baba Ijesha's release, alleging the Appeal Court had cleared the actor and calling the case a "charade."
Pedro provided a detailed account of the legal proceedings to set the record straight. He recalled that the Lagos State High Court convicted Baba Ijesha on July 14, 2022, for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child, sentencing him to five years and three years respectively, to run concurrently. While the actor appealed the conviction, the Court of Appeal's judgment on June 28, 2024, only set aside counts relating to alleged offences from 2013-2014.
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Crucially, the appellate court upheld his conviction and sentence for the offences committed in 2021. Pedro further revealed that the actor's subsequent appeals to the Supreme Court were dismissed, leaving the Court of Appeal's decision intact.
“Mr. Olanrewaju James’s release was not as a result of the Appeal Court overturning his conviction or sentence,” Pedro stated unequivocally. “He was released solely because he had fully served the punishment affirmed by the Court of Appeal. He was not cleared of the offences of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child.”
The Attorney General issued a strong warning to Fabiyi and media platforms spreading the "false news," stating they risk criminal prosecution under Section 39 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. He reaffirmed the state's commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting child victims of sexual abuse.
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