Nollywood actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka, better known as Baba Ijesha, was released from Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison on Friday after completing his full five-year sentence for sexually assaulting a minor. The 47-year-old comedian regained his freedom following a recent Court of Appeal ruling that partially upheld his 2022 conviction, quashing two of four charges while affirming the others, which allowed him to exit custody after serving the concurrent term in full.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on November 14, 2025, by the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, the panel acquitted Baba Ijesha of two earlier counts: sexual assault by penetration (Count 2, alleged in 2014) and indecent treatment of a child (Count 3, alleged in 2015), citing insufficient evidence to prove those allegations. However, the court upheld convictions on the remaining two counts, sexual assault (Count 4, 2015) and attempted sexual assault by penetration (Count 5, 2021), based on the actor’s voluntary confessional statement, which was not challenged during proceedings, and the unchallenged testimony of key witness Damilola Adekoya (PW1). These upheld charges stem from incidents involving Adekoya’s then 14-year-old foster daughter during a 2021 movie shoot at her residence, captured on hidden camera.
Originally sentenced on July 14, 2022, by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo (retd.) of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court to five years’ imprisonment across the four counts (running concurrently), Baba Ijesha had spent more than three years in detention, including pre-trial custody. His legal team, led by Barrister Olabiran Kayode, confirmed the release and noted that with the sentence fully served, no further incarceration is required. “He has paid his debt to society and is now focused on rehabilitation and family,” Kayode told reporters outside the prison gates.
Celebrations erupted on social media, but not without controversy. Actor and activist Yomi Fabiyi, a staunch supporter of Baba Ijesha throughout the saga, posted on Instagram claiming the Appeal Court had fully cleared the actor of all charges, including defilement, and dismissed the case as a “7-year-old story” that was a “charade” fueled by “sentiments and wickedness.” Fabiyi’s jubilant message, which included purported photos of Baba Ijesha smiling alongside friends and family after his release, quickly amassed thousands of views and shares. He declared: “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 with or defiling any child or minor.”
However, ThisDay’s in-depth review of the judgment reveals that Fabiyi’s claims are misleading and inaccurate. The appellate court did not issue a blanket exoneration. It explicitly upheld guilt on Counts 4 and 5, relying on the actor’s own confession and witness evidence.
Baba Ijesha’s 2021 arrest ignited fierce debates in Nigeria’s entertainment circles, spotlighting issues of sexual violence, celebrity privilege, and evidentiary standards such as hidden recordings. Prosecutors argued that the assaults spanned years, beginning when the victim was seven, but the Court of Appeal found flaws in proving the pre-2021 incidents.
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