Questions have continued to linger regarding the recent release of Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesa, from the Nigerian Correctional facility in Lagos, which followed the alleged overturning of his conviction by an appeal court in Lagos in a case involving the sexual assault of a minor.
The news of his release went viral on Saturday, with popular activist and filmmaker Yomi Fabiyi announcing on his official Instagram page that the Court of Appeal declared that there was not enough evidence to tie Baba Ijesa to the series of allegations against him.
TVC, in a conversation with a source within the appeal court, discovered that there was no court sitting in recent time overturning the conviction of Baba Ijesa on the case of sexual assault.
Also, in a telephone conversation with TVC, Yomi Fabiyi admitted that the appeal court judgment he referred to was actually a sitting since last year that struck out two counts out of the six-count charge against Baba Ijesa.
Recall that On July 14, 2022, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja convicted Baba Ijesha and sentenced him to 16 years imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor.
She found him guilty on four of the six counts he faced. The judge sentenced him to five years imprisonment for the indecent treatment of a child which was said to have been committed in 2014; three years for sexual assault at the time, another five years on count four for the offence of indecent treatment of a child said to have been committed in April 2021. He was also sentenced to another three years imprisonment for sexual assault on the minor in the 2021 incident.
The sentencing was to run concurrently, meaning he would serve the highest sentencing of five years in his conviction.
However, Justice Taiwo exonerated him of the offence of sexual assault by penetration which deals with allegedly sexually assaulting a minor by penetration with his car key seven years ago and attempted sexual assault by penetration during another encounter with the minor on April 22, 2021.
In June 2024, upon an appeal filed by Baba Ijesha, Justice Ojo of the Court of Appeal, Lagos partly upheld the lower court’s concurrent sentencing of five years.
The judge ordered that, “The appellant’s conviction, and sentence to five years imprisonment for the offence of indecently touching of a child (in 2014), contrary to Section 135 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011 (count two of the charge) is set aside.
“The Appellant conviction of three years imprisonment for the offence of sexual assault of a child (in 2014) contrary to section 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011 (count three of the charge) is set aside.
“I affirm the conviction and sentence of the appellant to five years imprisonment for the offence of indecent treatment of a child contrary to section 135 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015 (count four of the charge).”
“The appellant’s conviction and sentence to three years imprisonment for sexual assault contrary to section 263 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011 (count five of the information) is also affirmed.
“The sentences for counts four and five are to run concurrently,” Justice Ojo further held.
In conclusion, there is no proven court statement or judgment overturning Baba Ijesa’s conviction as of the time of filing this report.
TVC previously reported that Nollywood actor, Olarenwaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesa, was released from prison.
In 2021, controversy trailed the actor over a sexual allegation involving a minor. In July 2022, the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja sentenced him to 16 years’ imprisonment after finding him guilty on multiple counts relating to the assault of a 14-year-old girl.
As seen on X by TVC correspondent on Saturday, a short viral video clip capturing actor expressing relief, a video presumed to be recorded shortly after his release.
