Convicted Nollywood actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, has described prison as a place where prayers are answered most, alleging that some sudden deaths are connected to the prayers and curses of inmates.

The actor made the remarks during an interview with Dele Adeyanju on Agbaletu TV, published on the station's YouTube channel on Sunday.

Reflecting on his experience behind bars, months after his release, Baba Ijesha described his time in prison as bitter, claiming that he had been made a scapegoat.

He advised young people to be cautious in their dealings, warning that actions they might consider harmless could eventually lead to imprisonment.

The actor also said his celebrity status did not afford him special treatment in prison, adding that inmates were subjected to the same conditions regardless of their social standing.

He alleged that some correctional officers were harsher than police officers, explaining that certain warders showed little regard for the status or public profile of inmates.

Baba Ijesha further recounted seeing wealthy and influential individuals treated like ordinary prisoners, saying the experience challenged his previous assumptions about the privileges associated with social status.

He also claimed that about 65 per cent of inmates were innocent and urged judges, lawyers and government officials to pay closer attention to the circumstances surrounding the detention of people in correctional facilities.

Referring to some inmates at Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre and Ikoyi Correctional Centre, he said many had stories that deserved to be heard and investigated.

The actor described prison as a place of intense prayer, claiming that some inmates made desperate appeals to God, including invoking curses against those they believed had wrongfully imprisoned them.

He alleged that some sudden deaths outside correctional facilities were linked to such prayers, citing the case of an inmate he identified as “No Case”, whose accuser allegedly apologised before dying.

Baba Ijesha urged leaders and people in positions of authority to exercise restraint and consider the consequences of their actions against others.

His comments come after his release from prison in November 2025, following the completion of his custodial sentence.

A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja had sentenced him in July 2022 to concurrent prison terms of five years and three years for sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child.

The Lagos State Government subsequently clarified that his release followed the completion of his sentence, rather than an acquittal. The Court of Appeal set aside some aspects of the earlier convictions but upheld the sexual assault conviction.

The actor has continued to dispute the allegations against him in subsequent public interviews.