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Nollywood actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, has revealed how Yoruba nation activist Sunday Igboho sent money to him and arranged phone calls while he was serving his prison sentence in Nigeria.
The actor disclosed this during a meeting involving Igboho and veteran broadcaster Kolo Olootu, where the activist’s birthday was celebrated with a cake-cutting ceremony attended by Baba Ijesha.
Recounting how the activist maintained contact with him despite their detention in different countries, Baba Ijesha said Igboho regularly sent him money and contacted prison authorities to facilitate their conversations.
He explained that prison officials would inform him whenever Igboho called and sometimes sought confirmation about whether the activist had been released before allowing the communication to proceed.
“He used to send money to me. He would call the prison authorities and ask them to give me the phone. They would tell me it was Igboho calling and ask, ‘Are they sure? Has he been released?’” the actor said.
Igboho also confirmed that the two men maintained contact while they were both in detention, with Baba Ijesha imprisoned in Nigeria and the activist held in Cotonou, the Republic of Benin.
“When I was in detention in Cotonou, Baba Ijesha was also in prison in Nigeria, and we used to call each other,” Igboho said.
Their accounts highlighted how the two men sustained communication despite the distance between their respective detention facilities and the circumstances surrounding their incarceration.
Igboho’s detention in Benin Republic followed his arrest in Cotonou in July 2021 after he fled Nigeria amid a manhunt linked to his agitation for a Yoruba nation. He was subsequently released from detention in March 2022.
Baba Ijesha’s release from prison
Tribune Online reported that Baba Ijesha was released from prison in November 2025 after spending more than three years in custody following his conviction in a case involving the sexual assault of a minor.
In July 2022, the Lagos State High Court sentenced the actor to 16 years’ imprisonment over offences arising from the case.
His release followed a Court of Appeal decision that overturned aspects of the judgment. The case had attracted considerable public attention and debate over child protection, sexual offences and the administration of justice.
The actor’s latest disclosure has also drawn attention to the personal relationship between him and Igboho, particularly their efforts to remain in contact during a period when both were facing detention in separate countries.
Although their circumstances differed, the two men confirmed that they were able to communicate while in custody, with Igboho also providing financial assistance to the actor.
The revelation emerged during the birthday gathering attended by Baba Ijesha, Igboho and broadcaster Kolo Olootu, where the activist’s birthday was marked with a cake-cutting ceremony.
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