Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), has dismissed reports claiming that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, was cleared by the Court of Appeal. The rumour, which circulated widely on social media after a post attributed to actor Yomi Fabiyi, alleged that the convicted actor had been exonerated of all charges.
Pedro described the report as false and misleading, insisting that no court had cleared the actor. He explained that the viral claims misrepresented the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal and distorted the facts of the case. According to him, the Appeal Court only set aside the charges relating to incidents said to have occurred in 2013 and 2014 due to insufficient evidence, but it upheld Baba Ijesha’s conviction for the 2021 offences for which he was originally sentenced by the Lagos High Court in 2022.
The Attorney-General further clarified that Baba Ijesha’s release was not the result of any acquittal or clearance but simply because he had served the duration of the prison term affirmed by the Court of Appeal. Pedro added that an appeal to the Supreme Court was struck out in May 2025 and a subsequent application to file a fresh appeal was dismissed in October, meaning the Appeal Court’s judgment remains valid.
He also warned that spreading false information about court decisions could attract legal consequences under Section 39 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, which prohibits the publication of false news capable of causing public panic. Pedro urged individuals and media outlets to verify sensitive legal information before circulating it, noting that such misinformation undermines public trust in the justice system.
The Attorney-General reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to protecting children and upholding the integrity of the criminal justice system, stressing that the facts of Baba Ijesha’s conviction remain unchanged despite attempts to mislead the public.