Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, has warned Nollywood actor, Yomi Fabiyi, to stop spreading false narrative over the release of fellow actor, Olanrewaju James (aka Baba Ijesa), from prison.
He debunked a report ascribed to Fabiyi, claiming that Baba Ijesa was freed after being cleared by the Court of Appeal, declaring that the narrative was “false, misleading and irresponsible.”
Pedro, speaking on Sunday, said his office was alarmed by a social media post authored by Fabiyi and later reproduced in an online publication, alleging that the appellate court had exonerated Baba Ijesa of all charges, including sexual offences involving a minor.
He stressed that such statements were a complete distortion of the judicial record and capable of misleading the public.
Pedro explained that the clarification became necessary following Fabiyi’s claims that the Court of Appeal “cleared” the convict of ever defiling a minor and that the entire case was a “charade.”
The Attorney-General said no such clearance occurred at any stage of the judicial process.
Outlining the full litigation history, he noted 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 that occurred in 2021, sentencing him to five years and three years respectively, to run concurrently.
The Lagos State Attorney-General said: “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.”
Pedro noted that Baba Ijesa took his appeal to the Supreme Court, but the apex court struck out the appeal on May 29, 2025, on grounds of incompetence.
A subsequent motion for leave to file a fresh appeal was dismissed on October 9, 2025, thereby leaving the Court of Appeal judgment fully intact.
The Attorney-General emphasised that the convict’s release was strictly because he had completed his full term of imprisonment as affirmed by the Court of Appeal, and not because he was discharged or acquitted.
“Mr. Olanrewaju James was not cleared of the offences of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child,” Pedro stated, warning that Fabiyi’s assertions were wholly untrue and capable of alarming the public.
He urged Lagos residents and the wider public to disregard the circulating claims and cautioned Fabiyi, including any platform amplifying the falsehood, to desist immediately.
He said the Office of the Attorney-General will not hesitate to initiate criminal proceedings against publication of false news with intent to cause fear or alarm, an offence under Section 39 of the Lagos Criminal Law, should the misinformation persist.
