The Baba Ijesha son naming ceremony, held in Lagos on Thursday, 12 November 2026, has reopened a public argument about the convicted Nollywood actor, a year after he left prison. Baba Ijesha and his wife, the fashion designer CEO Luminee, marked the occasion with a naming and Thanksgiving celebration that Legit.ng reported was marked by a public kiss.
The couple's affection, and a guest list full of entertainers, have drawn both curiosity and criticism. The debate is shaped by what the law says about his conviction and what the Lagos government has said about his release.
The main points:
- Baba Ijesha and Luminee held a naming and Thanksgiving celebration in Lagos on 12 November 2026, which was marked by a public kiss.
- Baba Ijesha was convicted of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child, and his conviction was partly set aside on appeal in 2024.
- He left Kirikiri Correctional Facility on 14 November 2025, and the Lagos Attorney-General said he was not acquitted.
- The ceremony drew well-known entertainers and sparked online criticism over the kiss, the cost of Aso Ebi and the timing of the pregnancy.
- No official response to the ceremony has been reported, and the call to add his name to the sex offenders register has not been answered.
What happened at the celebration
Punch reports that, in the run-up to the baby Ayesha son naming ceremony, the pair put out videos showing plenty of warmth between them. When the day came, they kissed in front of their guests, and Luminee hardly left her husband's side for the duration.
Baba Ijesha turned up in traditional attire at the Baba Ijesha son naming ceremony and entertained the crowd with a song. Punch says some viewers took things he said while performing as a reply to those who criticise him. When the cake was cut, he scooped a bit with his fingers and put it into his wife's mouth, and a video of that moment spread far and wide on social media.
Linda Ikeji's Blog reported that the pair shared a passionate kiss with guests watching. The baby Ayesha son naming ceremony marked the naming of their boy, King Kagar Omiyinka, who arrived in June 2026. On 15 June, the couple shared news of the baby's birth.
The guests and the backlash
Several well-known figures attended the baby Ayesha son naming ceremony. QED.NG listed the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola, and the actresses Mercy Aigbe, Peju Ogunmola and Laide Bakare among them. Punch adds Yinka Quadri, Jide Kosoko, Phyna, Imisi and MC Oluomo to the list.
Punch further observed that a few people linked to the actress Iyabo Ojo were in attendance at the Baba Ijesha son naming ceremony. It warned, however, that simply turning up does not by itself show which side they take on the controversy from the actor's past.
Reaction online was not uniformly warm. Kemi Filani News reported a wave of criticism over the kiss, with some viewers calling the gesture a “childish act”.
A ceremony that was costly and contested from the start
The event was first advertised for 27 August 2026 as a “royal celebration” for the baby, with an open invitation to the public. It took place on a later date, 12 November.
The invitation also stirred controversy. Premium Times reported that Aso Ebi was priced at ₦250,000 for men and ₦350,000 for women, which sparked online criticism. Nolly Trailers said the couple arranged to ship Aso Ebi from Lagos to supporters abroad.
Premium Times also noted that the pregnancy drew public attention because it came about five months after his release. The media personality Daddy Freeze mocked the actor over that timing.
The conviction and what the courts decided
The case behind the controversy began in April 2021. The Nigerian Voice reported that he was arrested after CCTV footage surfaced showing him sexually assaulting a 14-year-old, the foster daughter of the comedienne Damilola Adekoya, known as Princess.
On 14 July 2022 he was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for sexual assault and three years for indecent treatment of a child, running concurrently.
On 28 June 2024, the Court of Appeal in Lagos set aside the conviction relating to alleged incidents between 2013 and 2014, describing Adekoya's testimony on those counts as hearsay. The headline of that Channels Television report said the court affirmed the five-year conviction.
His Supreme Court appeal was struck out for incompetence on 29 May 2025, and a motion for leave to file a fresh appeal was dismissed on 9 October 2025.
Release, and the Attorney-General's clarification
He left Kirikiri Correctional Facility on 14 November 2025. Legit.ng reported that his concurrent sentences totalled five years, including time on remand since 2021.
Soon after, the Lagos Attorney-General, Lawal Pedro, addressed claims that the Court of Appeal had cleared the actor. AllAfrica reported that he dismissed the claims, describing the reports as “false, misleading and irresponsible”. In his account, Baba Ijesha had completed his term and was not acquitted.
Princess has also made her position known. After his release, she urged the Lagos government and the Department of Justice to publish his name in the sex offenders register, according to the same AllAfrica report.
What the Baba Ijesha son naming ceremony leaves unresolved
The facts on record are narrow and clear. He served a sentence for a crime against a minor, he was released, and he has since had a child and celebrated publicly with a large guest list.
What remains open is the public's reaction. Some see a man rebuilding his life with his family, while others see a celebration that ignores the victim and the gravity of the conviction. Attendance by well-known entertainers has not settled that argument, and Punch itself warns against reading too much into who showed up.
No official response to the ceremony has been reported, and the call to add his name to the sex offenders register has not been answered in the facts available. For now, the dispute plays out online, between a couple who chose to celebrate in public and a public that has not stopped watching.
The original report was published by Punch Newspapers.
