Nollywood actress and talk show host, Biola Adebayo, has bowed to public outrage, officially pulling down the highly controversial interview featuring recently released actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka widely known as Baba Ijesha, from her YouTube channel.
The dramatic reversal comes on the heels of intense backlash after Adebayo aired a sit-down conversation with the embattled actor, who recently completed an approximate five-year prison sentence following his conviction for indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, and attempted sexual assault by penetration.
During the explosive interview, rather than showing remorse, Baba Ijesha vehemently denied the allegations that led to his incarceration, claiming he was entirely framed by comedian Princess.
In another shocking moment, he alleged that prominent actress Iyabo Ojo had once entrusted her children to his care, a sweeping claim Ojo immediately dismissed while threatening a massive lawsuit against him.
Faced with a mounting wave of public condemnation for giving a convicted sex offender a platform to spin a narrative of innocence, Adebayo took to her Instagram page on Tuesday to issue a heartfelt public apology and explain her side of the story.
“This is an apology video to everyone that feels offended. I’m so sorry,” the visibly remorseful actress pleaded in the video.
Adebayo explained the behind-the-scenes dynamics that led to the interview, revealing that it was Baba Ijesha who initiated the media round.
She recalled that immediately upon his release from prison, he had reached out to inform her he was back. At that time, she suggested an interview so he could apologize to the public and clear the air, but he declined, stating he was not mentally ready.
According to Adebayo, she dropped the subject entirely until he surprisingly reached out to her last week.
“What happened was, when he came back from prison, he told me he was back, and I asked if he wanted to do an interview to apologise and clear the air.
“He said he wasn’t ready then. I didn’t ask again until he called me last week saying he was ready and wanted to come to me first,” Adebayo recounted.
The actress expressed her own shock at the trajectory the conversation took, confessing that she fully expected the actor to use the platform to express deep regret.
“I thought I was just an interviewer; to hear what he has to say. I thought he would apologise, but he did not,” she lamented, emphatically clarifying that her intention was never to exonerate him or validate his narrative.
Taking a deeply personal turn, Adebayo disclosed that she herself is a survivor of sexual assault, making it fundamentally impossible for her to ever support or enable a perpetrator.
“I would never enable anybody. The interview was not to support Baba Ijesha or agree with what he was saying. To everyone that feels hurt or offended, I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I am learning from this and will be more careful in the future,” she insisted.
