Baba Ijesha insists sexual assault charge was a set up in new song

Convicted Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, has again stirred controversy after claiming he was set up in the sexual assault case that led to his imprisonment.

The actor made the claim in a newly released song titled “Eniwaye Daran,” with the video uploaded on his YouTube channel on Thursday, where he narrated his version of events surrounding his arrest and subsequent conviction.

In the track, Baba Ijesha insisted that the incident that led to his imprisonment was orchestrated by his former colleague.

According to him, the comedian invited him to her residence under the pretext of offering him a movie role and sharing a meal.

“The incident happened on April 21, 2021. Princess She Devil called me that she was preparing my favourite food, Pounded yam, crayfish, Egusi soup with bush meat,” he said in the song.

“She had earlier told me about an acting job before that day, but said she didn’t want me to play my usual role in the movie. She said she wanted me to act as a young guy because she wanted to take me to another level, but I never knew it was Kirikiri and Panti prison,” he added.

The actor claimed that upon arriving at the residence, he met several individuals who were introduced as members of the film production team.

He said he began rehearsing with a young girl after being directed to practise a scene while waiting for the food he had been promised.

“When I got to her house, I met some people there. She said the food was still cooking. While waiting, I started rehearsing according to what the alleged director told me, not knowing it was a lie, there was no movie anywhere; it was all set up,” he said.

According to him, the situation suddenly escalated when a group of people allegedly stormed the room and accused him of misconduct.

“I never knew they had already ganged up against me. Many more joined her in the process just to keep me in prison.

“One of them even said she would make sure I don’t come out alive, and they thought that was the end of my life, but God brought me out again in good health,” he said.

The actor also expressed bitterness over what he described as betrayal by people within the entertainment industry.

“A lot of elders and my colleagues in the movie industry betrayed me. They conspired. All this was done because of my glory,” he alleged.

He added that the ordeal changed his life significantly, claiming that he suffered greatly during his incarceration.

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“I ended up in Kirikiri prison because of a woman. Help me thank God, I am free from them. I saw misery in the hands of the person who accused me,” he said.

Baba Ijesha also warned his fans to be cautious about people they trust.

“Please my fans be careful with friends. They cannot be trusted. Flee from them because the world is evil, and human beings are more wicked than venomous snakes,” he said.

The case had sparked nationwide outrage in 2021 after Adekoya accused the actor of sexually assaulting her 14-year-old foster daughter.

The allegation triggered widespread reactions on social media and within the entertainment industry, with several celebrities speaking out.

Among those who publicly advocated justice for the minor was actress Iyabo Ojo, who was vocal during the campaign for accountability following the incident.

ValidViewNetwork had earlier reported that a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja convicted Baba Ijesha in July 2022 for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child.

The court sentenced him to five years and three years imprisonment respectively, to run concurrently, for offences related to the 2021 incident.

Following controversies surrounding his release from prison, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice clarified that the actor was not released because he was acquitted of the offences.

The Lawal Pedro, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, said reports claiming that the actor had been cleared by the Court of Appeal Nigeria were false.

Speaking to journalists, Pedro explained that although the appellate court set aside some convictions relating to alleged offences between 2013 and 2014, it upheld the conviction and sentence related to the 2021 sexual assault case.

“Mr. Olanrewaju James was not cleared of the offences of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child,” Pedro said.

He added that the actor’s release was solely because he had completed the prison term imposed by the court.

“His release followed the completion of his sentence as affirmed by the Court of Appeal and not because he was discharged or acquitted,” the Attorney-General explained.

Pedro also warned that spreading claims suggesting that the actor had been exonerated was misleading and capable of causing public confusion.

Meanwhile, Adekoya had previously reacted to the actor’s release, urging the Lagos State Government and the Department of Justice to include his name in the state’s sex offender register.

She made the appeal during an Instagram live session in November 2025, emphasising the importance of accountability in cases involving minors.

Despite the court rulings and official clarifications, Baba Ijesha maintained in his new song that he was innocent, insisting that the events leading to his arrest and imprisonment were part of a conspiracy against him.

The release of the song has since generated fresh conversations online, with social media users debating the actor’s claims and revisiting the highly publicised case that once dominated public discourse in Nigeria’s entertainment industry.