Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, widely known as Baba Ijesha, has reportedly regained his freedom after the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction that sent him to prison for sexually assaulting a minor
The actor was arrested in 2021, and by July 2022, the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja handed him a 16-year sentence after finding him guilty on several charges involving a 14-year-old girl.
A circulating video shared across Facebook, Instagram and X on Saturday showed a man who appeared to be the actor sitting inside a vehicle shortly after his release. In the clip, he sounded relieved and said he needed time to rest. PUNCH Online, however, noted that it has not independently verified the footage.
During a brief phone call captured in the video, he said in Yoruba, “Apase, I’m out… I just came out. I want to relax. I just want to leave here so I decided to inform you. Thank you for supporting me. I will call you.”
Yomi Fabiyi, the actor’s close friend, also shared news of the Appeal Court’s reported judgment in an Instagram post on Friday, describing the ruling as one that brought clarity to what he called a mishandled case.
Fabiyi stated that the decision “clears” the actor and urged both the public and authorities to treat sensitive allegations with caution. He added that the prolonged court dispute highlighted the importance of fairness, due process and the protection of rights in cases involving minors.
He further emphasized that his stance, as a human rights advocate, remains firm: he does not and will never support any form of sexual abuse, especially cases involving children.
Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates
