LAGOS — In a dramatic turn of events in Nigeria’s entertainment and legal circles, veteran actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka (popularly known as Baba Ijesha), is reported to have regained his freedom on Friday, 14 November 2025 after spending more than three years in custody on charges of sexual assault.
According to a post on the Instagram page of fellow actor, Yomi Fabiyi on Friday evening, Baba Ijesha was released after being “cleared by the Appeal Court”. Fabiyi wrote:
“You are now officially FREE AND OUT. Baba Ijesha is not just back but BETTER. I am also happy you were cleared by the APPEAL COURT of ever having sex/defile any child/minor. The 7-year-old story is a charade. We live in a terrible world, where sentiments and wickedness rise above the rule of law and truth.”
Background of the Case
Baba Ijesha was convicted on 14 July 2022 by a Lagos State High Court for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and reportedly sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment. (Some earlier reports however note he was sentenced to 5 years concurrent on select counts).
In June 2024, the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos upheld his conviction on certain counts, ordering that he serve five years for the offence of indecent treatment of a child and three years for sexual assault, to run concurrently.
What the Instagram Announcement Claims
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Yomi Fabiyi’s post states that the Appeal Court cleared Baba Ijesha of ever having sex/defiled any child/minor.
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The post characterises the longer-running allegation as “a 7-year-old story” and a “charade”.
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The tone suggests that as of that moment, Baba Ijesha is free and his name cleared in the public sense.