Actor and rights advocate Yomi Fabiyi has praised the release of Nollywood actor Baba Ijesha and the Court of Appeal decision that cleared him of allegations of defiling a minor. Fabiyi said the ruling confirmed that the case had been mishandled from the start and urged the public to rely on facts, not sentiment.
Fabiyi said the case raised serious concerns. He claimed that those who set up the encounter that led to Baba Ijesha’s arrest “engaged in age falsification,” noting that no proof of the girl’s age was presented during trial. He argued that the allegation was used to target a “weak” individual for personal reasons.
He also questioned why a man identified as Damola Adekola, described as an associate of comedian Princess and a neighbour in the house where the incident occurred, was not prosecuted. Fabiyi said Adekola “confirmed the girl was his girlfriend” and should have faced the same scrutiny since he was arrested during the investigation.
Fabiyi further accused Princess of grooming and neglect. He said laboratory tests found sperm on the girl after Baba Ijesha’s arrest and that the sample did not belong to the actor. According to him, the findings showed that the girl “recently lost her virginity,” raising more questions about her welfare.
He said Princess created and distributed unlawful recordings by setting up cameras in her home the day Baba Ijesha was invited over. He described the act as child pornography if the girl was indeed a minor. He added that the process exposed the girl to repeated trauma and violated her rights, as she depended on Princess for her basic needs.
Fabiyi stressed that his organisation does not support sexual abuse and will not defend anyone involved in such acts. He said the group will continue to challenge selective justice and the violation of human rights. He argued that the actions taken in the case “have no basis in law” and called for accountability from all parties.
The statement ended with a renewed call for reforms in how sensitive cases are investigated and handled.
