In 2021, when allegations against Baba Ijesa shook Nollywood and many kept their distance, Yomi Fabiyi did the opposite. He spoke, defended, and stood firm in public, even as criticism grew around him.
For years, Fabiyi remained one of the most visible voices pushing back against the narrative surrounding Baba Ijesa’s case. Through court proceedings, public backlash, and the actor’s time in prison, his position did not appear to change. But after Baba Ijesa regained his freedom, Fabiyi now says something has changed.
In recent statements, the actor has described a shift he did not expect. It’s not been marked by appreciation, but by silence, distance, and claims of actions that have raised new questions about their relationship.
What followed, according to him, was not the outcome he had stood for.
BACKGROUND
Who They Are & How Their Paths Crossed
Baba Ijesa was already a familiar face in Yoruba Nollywood before 2021, known for comic and supporting roles. His name, however, took on a different meaning after a criminal case pushed him from movie sets into national headlines.
Yomi Fabiyi, on the other hand, was not just an actor. He had built a reputation as a vocal figure, someone who often stepped into public debates and did not shy away from controversy, even within the industry. Their relationship was shaped within the same Yoruba film industry.
The Case That Changed Everything & Fabiyi’s Public Support
In 2021, Baba Ijesa was accused in a sexual assault case involving a minor. The allegations sparked outrage across the country and split opinions within Nollywood.
While many actors distanced themselves, the case moved through the legal system and eventually led to his imprisonment. The situation became one of the most talked-about scandals in the industry at the time, drawing reactions from fellow actors and the public.
As criticism grew, Yomi Fabiyi took a different position. He spoke repeatedly in defense of Baba Ijesa, questioned parts of the public narrative, and insisted on what he described as fairness and due process. His stance did not come without consequences. He equally faced backlash, public attacks, and even industry tension for refusing to step back.
Still, he continued. Even as the case progressed and Baba Ijesa remained behind bars, Fabiyi stayed one of the few consistent voices speaking on his behalf.
After Prison: A Quiet Return, A Subtle Shift
By 2025, Baba Ijesa had completed his prison term and returned to public life. There were signs Baba Ijesa’s comeback by granting interviews and even a song release as he tried to re-enter the industry. But in the middle of that return, something appeared missing.
According to Fabiyi, there was no clear acknowledgment of the role he played during the difficult years. No public appreciation. No visible sign of the loyalty he believed he had shown. At the time, it was easy to overlook. Later, it would begin to matter.
WHAT YOMI FABIYI SAID ABOUT BABA IJESA’S REACTION TO HIM
When Yomi Fabiyi finally spoke, his words did not sound like someone describing a misunderstanding. They sounded like someone trying to explain a change he did not expect.
According to him, the shift came shortly after Baba Ijesa regained his freedom. Fabiyi alleged that instead of reconnecting with him or showing appreciation, Baba Ijesa’s response was different. He claimed that a message was sent through another person, warning him to stop speaking publicly about the case.
The claim, which he described as shocking, marked a clear break from the relationship he believed they had. He said he had stood by Baba Ijesa during one of the most difficult periods of his life, even when others stepped back, only to be met with what he interpreted as hostility.
Fabiyi also pointed to other moments that, to him, showed a change in attitude. He claimed his name was deliberately left out of a song released after Baba Ijesa’s return, a move he suggested was intentional and dismissive.
In his words, the issue was not just silence, but what he saw as a pattern. From distance, to a warning, and a lack of acknowledgment after years of visible support.
At the centre of his account is a simple contrast: he expected loyalty after loyalty. Instead, he says, he got something else. In a clip released on April 9, Yomi Fabiyi said:
“Baba Ijesha thinks he has arrived, right? I put my life on the line for him. I took bullets for him and carried his cross. The little fame and influence I built for myself, I used it to stand by him.
I do good to people, yet they repay me with evil. I did everything possible to help him get an appeal. I even told him the steps I was taking so Nigerians could understand the truth. Yet, he sent someone to threaten me… warning me not to speak about his case again.
When he went to the studio to sing, he tried to disgrace me. He mentioned the names of people who stood by him, but deliberately left mine out.
You cannot keep doing evil and expect not to face consequences. May we never fight for someone God is punishing.
Till today, people keep tagging me as someone supporting a paedophile… all because of him. I remember being at the American Embassy when a woman started shouting at me because of Baba Ijesha.
I have always stood up for women, yet everything was turned against me because of him.”
CONCLUSION
For Yomi Fabiyi, the issue now goes beyond what happened in court or how the public reacted at the time. His recent statements suggest he is focused on what came after.
He has said clearly that he stood his ground when it was unpopular to do so, describing his support as a personal sacrifice. In his words, he “took bullets” for Baba Ijesa, only to feel repaid “with evil” after the actor regained his freedom.
That claim, like others he has made, remains one side of a story that has not been publicly resolved. There has been no widely reported detailed response from Baba Ijesa directly addressing these specific allegations.
What is clear, however, is that the relationship Fabiyi once projected, which was built on public defense and visible loyalty no longer appears the same. His account points to distance, disappointment, and a reaction he says he did not expect.
In the end, the legal case may have reached its conclusion. But the questions Fabiyi is raising now are different.
They are no longer about what happened before prison.
They are about what changed after.
