Baba Ijesha Shares His Views on Prison Life

Convicted Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, better known as Baba Ijesha, has said that prison is a place where prayers are answered the most. He also claimed that many sudden deaths are connected to the prayers and curses of inmates in correctional facilities.

Baba Ijesha made these comments during an interview with Dele Adeyanju on Agabletu TV. The video was shared on the station’s YouTube channel on Sunday.

Reflecting on his time behind bars months after his release, Baba Ijesha described his experience as bitter, stating that he was made a scapegoat. He urged the youth to be careful with their actions. “What you think may not lead to prison may land you in prison,” he said.

When asked about his experience, Baba Ijesha responded, “Bitter.” He explained, “Bitter because I was a scapegoat. Do you know, many want people to learn a lesson from celebrities?” He added that he lived like any other inmate in prison, despite being a celebrity.

He claimed that some warders are tougher than police officers. “Some warders are more wicked than police. Those in offices are different. Some deal with criminals. They don’t know who is a celebrity. They don’t listen to the radio or pay attention to anything. You can see those kinds of people. If it is time to cry, you will cry, and if it is time to laugh, you will laugh,” he said.

Baba Ijesha expressed his surprise at seeing wealthy individuals and powerful people, like ministers, treated like regular inmates in prison. “Do you know what I mean? Some people many think travel abroad are actually in prison.”

He shared a shocking story. “Let me shock you. There is someone I blocked after calling him many times, and he did not pick up. It was in my second month in prison; he told someone to call me. I was shocked,” he said.

The actor claimed that a large number of inmates are wrongly imprisoned. “There are about 65% there that are innocent. There is a guy there called No Case. Dear government, please. Some people are in Kirikiri Prison, some are in the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, and others are in Ikoyi. You need to hear their stories and see what they are going through.”

He urged judges and lawyers to listen to the inmates’ stories. “I was also working for my country. I went there to ensure that things are properly investigated and that certain issues are addressed to make things easier for you. There are many people in that situation,” he added.

Baba Ijesha described prison as a place of intense prayer. “Do you know prison is where prayer answers most?”

He said to powerful people, “When you put someone in a position of authority and they become overwhelmed by power or encounter certain problems, whether legal issues or otherwise, there are things you need to reconsider.” He mentioned that people pray hard in prison. “People will continue praying until they pick a stone and use it to cut themselves till blood is coming out. The person will lick the blood and tell God, ‘If I am guilty of the offense I am here for, let this, and this happen to me.’ But if I don’t know anything about it…”

He stressed that leaders should be considerate. “Many sudden deaths are from prison, and they don’t use knives. It is the power of prayer.”

He referred to the inmate called No Case. “The person that put him there apologized before dying. And the No Case is still in prison,” he said.

These comments come after Baba Ijesha's release following a conviction. A Lagos State High Court in Ikeja sentenced him in July 2022 to five years and three years for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child over a 2021 incident.

The Lagos State Government later clarified that he was not acquitted but released after serving his sentence. The Court of Appeal set aside some earlier convictions but upheld the sexual assault ruling. His name was added to the state’s sex offenders’ register.

In a March 23, 2026 interview with Yinka Ayefele on Fresh FM, Baba Ijesha rejected the labels of paedophile and rapist. He claimed he was lured with food and money under the pretext of a movie role by Damilola Adekoya, also known as Princess. He arrived expecting a production involving pounded yam and egusi soup but felt set up.

He maintained, “I am not a paedophile, I am not a rapist. It was destiny that punished me.” He said he will share more details of his side of the story in an upcoming movie.