One must imagine the ancestors stunned into silence by the circus in Ilé-Ifẹ. Amused, wondering in whose name and according to whose values a man proven to have assaulted a young girl is being celebrated. One must concur that the concept of honour underwent change as dusk fell on Thursday July 2, 2026. Such that when Baba Ijesha arrived at the Ọọni’s palace the following day, accessorised in glamorous white, there was sufficient reasoning to present him with a car gift as a true example of an Ọmọlúàbí—never mind the since denied chieftaincy title. The gods are not to blame; their divine offspring are.
If we weren’t citizens of a country where rehabilitation for those actually in need wasn’t a pipe-dream, then perhaps this would be more bewildering. And if we hadn’t previously cried out at the absurdity of handing repentant Boko Haram members zero punishment, among other Nigerian-isms, then it wouldn’t be a stretch to consider this real-life episode of The Twilight Zone a break in common sense. It’s to the point where lamentations simply serve as broadcast news fodder. “In today’s news, the leader of the Yoruba race worldwide sees no issue inviting a convicted sex offender to the cradle of his civilization.” And then we go, “That’s odd. No problem. Next item, please.” Complaints are from a place of exhaustion. Change is hardly ever wrought afterwards.
Pictures of the Ọọni, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, and his wife, fashion designer Afolashade ‘Luminee’ Omiyinka, appeared on the actor’s Instagram and Facebook pages last week Friday and immediately sparked a well of outrage. In the Facebook post’s caption, Baba Ijesha appreciated the Ọọni for ‘luxurious gifts,’ ‘a brand new car,’ and bestowing on him the honorary chieftaincy title of “Baba Awada Konge Oduwa.” A joint Instagram post with his partner excluded the gifts’ details, instead appreciating the Ọọni’s hospitality, and praising him for being ‘a good father in-law’ on behalf of their child, his ‘grandson.’ The Ọọni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, has since denied the chieftaincy title, acceding to the brand new car gift, but also stating that such gifts are commonplace for the traditional ruler. On social media, reactions trailing the posts have been mostly critical of the decision to platform the actor. Baba Ijesha’s supporters insist that his ‘past sins’ should have no bearing on how he’s treated now.
Reactions can be traced to his 14 July 2022 conviction for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a minor in 2013-2014 and April 2021, and subsequent sentencing to 5-year and 3-year jail terms for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child, respectively. His release on 14 November, 2025, and the controversy prior—including support from industry colleagues like Yomi Fabiyi and accusations of entrapment against the victim’s guardian, comedienne Damilola ‘Princess’ Adekoya—has led to unending discourse. Earlier in March 2026, the actor’s appearance on two talk shows extended the conversation further. The outcry was more rational than it was not. Here was a man legally certified to have committed these crimes, caught on video in the heinous act which was unfortunately shared to the public, also admitting to his misdeeds on video in a shameless attempt at subverting justice, and then being platformed after his release on a whitewashing campaign. His supporters and self-styled neutrals invoked forgiveness and rehabilitation as reasons to move past the consequences of said crimes. And till date, combing through comments of his posts on Facebook and Instagram, one finds outpourings of support from people evidently contributing to Nigeria’s statistic of 1 in 4 girls being victims of sexual violence—if not directly, as enablers willing to suspend logic to claim that the victims were involved in a set-up.
When a monarch like the Ọọni then goes ahead to implicitly endorse said person, child birth celebration excuse notwithstanding, it is nothing but a reflection of the monarch’s values. And no, not that the monarch supports his actions. But that, despite knowing said past, he is willing to confer legitimacy on the actor’s rebrand. Oba Ogunwusi’s gifts are but next steps in Baba Ijesha’s frictionless reabsorption into society, a warping of the values that should ordinarily make one deserving of honour. That the Ọọni’s spokesperson defended the car gift by stating, “So many people have benefited from Kabiyesi’s car gifts, including me and popular people like Haruna Ishola and Sefiu Alao. He gives out cars almost every day” should also elucidate what value is esteemed in this automobile raffle draw. Popularity. Celebrity status. Whether said person has greatly exhibited Ìwà réré (Good character) and the type of ọgbọ́n (wisdom) characteristic of an Ọmọlúàbí is secondary. Patronage is first a question of fame.
You can exhaust an entire list of these core Ọmọlúàbí values before arriving at one which would qualify such a public show of shame. Pray explain, in what manner was inú réré (goodwill and compassion) exhibited by Baba Ijesha’s actions with a minor entrusted in his care? What òtítọ́ (truthfulness and integrity) lies in his decision to parade himself in front of talk show mics with a skewed narrative of what actually happened—all teary-eyed and gospel singing like a falsely accused martyr? This man literally said that ‘they [himself and the victim] were acting’ in his now-deleted Talk-With-B interview. Perhaps this was a way of appreciating the values of ìtẹríba (respect) and sùúrù (endurance) from the monarch’s perspective. Endurance of ‘undeserved’ hardship. Respect for the crown. Throw in some good ol’ fashioned ọpọlọ pípé (intelligence) for whitewashing. And spice that up with akínkanjú (bravery) in the face of an overly critical audience who just do not understand that their words apparently mean nothing. How fortunate we are to learn the true meaning of these core values. How blessed we are to be opportune to partake of this bewildering banquet of unearned glamour. The Palace knows things we don’t. Long live the future!
It’s rather ironic that this is actually the second instance of the Ọọni’s negative association with the actor. Back in June 2025, a video of Baba Ijesha kneeling before the monarch circulated on social media, with the in-video caption, “Today, Baba Ijesha go thank Ooni of Ife because na him give order make dem release Ijesha.” Fact-checks by Fact Check Hub and Dubawa would eventually confirm that the claim was untrue, with the video stemming from the Ọọni’s 2021 birthday and Baba Ijesha confirmed to still be in prison, at the time. However, the fact that people could believe such an interference is an indicator of declining moral authority from the Ọọni himself. And to an increasingly large extent, other monarchs across the country. In a 21 March 2025 Guardian report on the spate of corrupt and unethical practices among these monarchs, one begins at Orile-Ifo in Ogun State, moving on to Ido, Oyo State, then Azumini Ndoki and Ibom Isii in Abia State, Mburubu in Enugu State, and Torusarama Piri, in Degema Local Council of Rivers State, where infamous militant leader, Asari Dokubo, currently serves as a traditional ruler, in step with the Sabon Birnin Yandoto Emirate Council of Zamfara state where a wanted bandit was conferred with a chieftaincy. Most recently, on 26 August 2025, one Oba Joseph Oloyede, then Apetumodu of Ipetumodu and also a pastor, was sentenced to 56 months in prison by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio, after he was found guilty of leading and participating in a $4.2 million COVID-19 loan scheme. The Ọọni’s ascension in 2015 was itself marked by allegations of involvement in a real estate scandal to the tune of ₦400 million. And as recently as 2021, he was embroiled in what had by then become a much larger scandal. When your traditional rulers have these sorts of accusations aimed at them with such frequency, many of which are proven to be true, it’s no surprise that their moral authority sinks to the deep end. Our seconds-to-the-deities have become immoral compasses guiding us to a place of valueless gloom.
We’re past the precipice now. Past the point where monarchs are even willing to prioritise the optics of dishonorable gifting. Where the spokesperson of one of the most influential traditional rulers on the planet can pass off a car gift of this nature as nothing. As long as you’re popular, you’ll get your unfair due, and that will be that. The gods are not to blame.
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