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Claim: Facebook users here, here, and here claim that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, has been released from prison.
Verdict: False. We traced the video of Baba Ijesha with the Ooni of Ife to 2021 before his arrest. The Lagos State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service spokesperson confirmed to DUBAWA that Baba Ijesha has not been released.
Full Text
Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, was arrested in April 2021 for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old foster daughter of Nigerian comedienne Princess.
On July 14, 2022, he was found guilty on four out of six charges and sentenced to 16 years. However, he is currently serving a five-year term for charges including indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault, as pronounced by the Lagos State Special Offences Court.
Since his conviction, Baba Ijesha has been held at the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre, Lagos.
On June 25, 2025, fresh claims surfaced online alleging that the actor had been released from prison. The claim, which gained traction on Facebook here, here, and here, was further amplified by a post from Praizemedia TV, which shared a video with the caption, “Baba Ijesha reportedly visits the Ooni of Ife after being released from prison.”
Another blog, Legit.ng, posted, “A rare video of actor Baba Ijesha with the Ooni of Ife went viral amid reports that he has been released from prison. Full video below.”
The sensitive nature of the claim and its virality prompted DUBAWA to verify the claim.
Verification
DUBAWA analysed the video involving Ooni of Ife to verify the claim and traced it to 2021, before Baba Ijesha’s conviction and imprisonment.
We also spoke to the spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Lagos State Command, Onimshi Osho, in a phone interview.
Onimshi said, “I called the person in charge of the maximum custodial centre, and he confirmed Baba Ijesha was not released. He is still in custody.”
It is worth noting that this is not the first time such misinformation has circulated. DUBAWA fact-checked a similar claim in April 2025.
