Biola Bayo apologises over controversial Baba Ijesha interview
Actress and podcaster Biola Adebayo has apologised following widespread backlash over her recent interview with actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha. The interview, aired on her YouTube show
- By Yewande Fasan
Actress and podcaster Biola Adebayo has apologised following widespread backlash over her recent interview with actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha.
The interview, aired on her YouTube show ‘Talk To B’, drew criticism after Baba Ijesha claimed he was set up in the sexual assault case that led to his imprisonment and revisited his past relationship with Iyabo Ojo.
In a video statement shared on her Instagram page on Tuesday, Adebayo said she provided the platform to allow the actor to apologise or clarify issues surrounding the case, but he declined.
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She maintained that her role as an interviewer was not to pass judgment but to ask questions, stressing that the interview's intention was not to justify or excuse the allegations against him.
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“What happened is when Baba Ijesha just came back from prison, he told me he was back, and I asked him, ‘Do you want to do an interview to apologise? Or to clear the air so that you can continue your life. And he said no, that he wasn’t ready.
“I thought he would apologise, but he did not do so. But it is not in my place to condemn him as an interviewer. The platform is for the good and the bad. It’s for both saints and sinners,” she said.
Adebayo, who identified herself as a survivor of sexual assault, emphasised that the interview was not intended to exonerate Baba Ijesha or dismiss his crime, and that she would never enable or condone pedophilia or rape.
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“I asked the right questions of him, which I thought was the job of an interviewer. I would never enable anybody. The interview was not to exonerate Baba Ijesha or agree with whatever he was saying. Go and watch the video very well.
“I would never be an accomplice to a paedophile or a rapist. I protect the girl child. I protect children to the best of my ability,” the actress said.
She also addressed claims that the interview was intended to target actress Iyabo Ojo, whose children Baba Ijesha had previously mentioned in the interview.
“A lot of people are insinuating that the video is to tarnish Iyabo Ojo’s image. I would never do that. I left it because I felt he wasn’t saying anything bad about her.
“Please forgive me. I am not here to justify anything. I am a very peaceful person. I don’t like controversies,” Adebayo said
The controversy has sparked debate, with many accusing Adebayo of giving Baba Ijesha a platform to downplay his conviction.
Recall that Baba Ijesha was sentenced to five years in prison in July 2022 for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child.
Following his release, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice has clarified that he was not acquitted of the offences, and his name has been added to the Lagos Sexual Offenders Register.
