Fact Check
FACT CHECK: Has Yoruba actor, Baba Ijesha been released from prison?
CLAIM: Yoruba Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka popularly known as Baba Ijesha has been released from prison.
VERDICT: False! Video is misleading
FULL TEXT
A YouTube account posted a video purportedly of Baba Ijesha after his release from prison. The video is captioned: “Baba Ijesha Free At Last! Congratulations.”
Baba Ijesha was sentenced to a five-year cumulative term for sexual molesting a 16-year-old girl. He was found guilty of four out of six count charges and convicted in July 2022, after about a year-long trial.
The victim was reported to be a foster child of actress and comedienne, Princess Adekoya, who initiated the prosecution of Baba Ijesa.
But how true is the claim that Baba Ijesha is out of prison?
READ ALSO:FACT CHECK: Are these Finnish women protesting against men marrying one wife?
VERIFICATION
Ripples Nigeria found that the 7-minutes long video is old. It was circulated in 2021 before his conviction. The video which featured other Nollywood actors and lawyers was shot in 2021 at the early stage of his trial when he was granted bail.
Baba Ijesha and his colleagues thanked the lawyers for their efforts in securing his bail.
CONCLUSION
The video is misleading. Baba Ijesha has not been released from prison, after being found guilty of the crime of sexually molesting a child.
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.