Nollywood actress and podcaster Biola Adebayo has issued a public apology following widespread backlash over her recent interview with actor Baba Ijesha.
The interview, aired on her YouTube show Talk To B, sparked outrage 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 shared on Instagram on Tuesday, Adebayo explained that the interview was intended to give the actor an opportunity to apologise or clarify lingering issues surrounding the case, but he declined to do so.
“I thought he would apologise, but he did not. It is not my place to condemn him as an interviewer,” she said, adding that her platform accommodates diverse perspectives.
Adebayo stressed that the interview was not designed to justify or excuse the allegations against the actor, noting that her role was strictly to ask questions and allow viewers to draw conclusions.
Identifying herself as a survivor of sexual assault, she firmly rejected claims that she was attempting to exonerate Baba Ijesha or downplay his conviction.
“I would never enable anybody. I would never be an accomplice to a paedophile or a rapist. I protect children to the best of my ability,” she stated.
She also dismissed suggestions that the interview was aimed at discrediting Iyabo Ojo, whose name came up during the conversation, insisting she had no such intention.
“Please forgive me. I am not here to justify anything. I don’t like controversies,” she added.
The interview has since ignited heated debate online, with critics accusing Adebayo of providing a platform for the actor to challenge his conviction.
Baba Ijesha was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in July 2022 for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a minor.
Following his release, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice clarified that he was not acquitted, confirming that his name remains on the state’s Sexual Offenders Register.
