Yomi Fabiyi is an established Nigerian actor, director and producer. He rose to fame after serving under the tutelage of the late comedian cum actor Babatunde Omidina, aka Baba Suwe. He is a filmmaker, and an activist and has been actively involved in distancing his colleague, Baba Ijesha, from a rape allegation. He was also at the forefront of getting to the roots of what caused the death of rising singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad. He spoke with The Nation Assistant Entertainment Editor, GBENGA BADA on varied issues in this interview.
You were among the very few who supported Baba Ijesha during his travails, tell us about it all and the state of the case at the moment.
He lost in part. He was discharged and acquitted of the molestation charge, as there was no evidence of him having intercourse with a child. It was established that nothing of that sort happened. The only issue remaining is the setup orchestrated by Princess. That refers to the two-count charge against him.
If that’s the case, why is he still in prison?
The remaining two-count charges established that they were acting together, but at some point, it was not acting. It was real contact and because the girl was not up to 18. But of course, it’s still subject to appeal at the Supreme Court because the girl was not 14 at that time, and even the Lagos State Government that was filing against Baba Ijesha did not know the age of the girl. There was no documentary evidence to prove the age of the girl. What I was fighting for is not for Baba Ijesha himself, it’s against child abuse. It is unheard of that someone’s daughter was abused or any minor, then the person is asked to submit their body to be sexually abused again. You cannot want your child to go through PTSD because you want to gather evidence. No police officer should do that. No judge will give such an order. And these are the things that I’m fighting for as a society that we must not allow. The gift we owe every child is protection and the truth about the whole case is that it is an organised crime. Princess didn’t have a camera in her house before, she later installed a CCTV camera. She asked the girl to sit down and let him touch her. She coached the girl. Even coaching a minor is punishable by life imprisonment. You can’t coach a child or a minor for sexual abuse. It is child pornography. It’s interesting how far they went, even recording it. All these were the things I was fighting for, not necessarily whether Baba Ijesha was guilty or not. But at the end of the day, when we look at everything, we realise that children are meant to be protected. Unfortunately, everyone was looking in a different direction instead of focusing on the real issue. It’s quite sad.
Are you still in touch with Baba Ijesha?
Of course.
Do you visit him regularly?
Not regularly. You can’t be going to prison to visit regularly. But we contact each other because we have a friend in the prison. So we talk regularly. And in the past, he has asked me for people’s contacts; to call him, tell this person to call me, tell that person to call me. If I have money, I send it to him as well. It’s always constant communication.
When was the last time you saw him?
A few days before my birthday, I went to invite him because I was sending invitations to all my colleagues. I felt like, just because he’s in prison doesn’t mean I shouldn’t share the same invitation with him. And when I took it down there, I was invited to the office of the Controller of Prisons, who asked why I was bringing an invitation to him. I said it was just to help his mental health because, at the end of the day, my conscience was telling me, should I ignore him just because he’s in prison while inviting people I don’t even know? I just wanted to share with him and say, ‘With faith, maybe you’ll be out before then.’ The Controller said they had to look at the logistics, if I was applying for him to be brought to my birthday, what was the advantage? And that they had to honour me. But I said no. So, when they received the invitation, the pack, everything, the sweets, everything I gave to other colleagues, I took it down to him. But after seeing the stress I went through, I told myself, You know what? I will only come here when it is very necessary.
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What was his reaction when he got the invitation?
It was natural for him. He felt, ‘If they didn’t set me up for flirting, I should be rejoicing with you that you even remembered me and brought this.’ Though, at some point in the early stage, he didn’t understand. He was like, ‘What are you trying to do?’ Until I explained to him that my conscience is my own policeman. Then he appreciated it. And, you know, he called me to pray for me. I have two people in the industry who reached out to him. A couple of our colleagues, even those who were bold, called me, saying they wanted to check up on him and asking where they could find him. And I led them through how they could reach him. It’s quite funny, but we are human. Setting up grown adults for flirting just because you want to punish someone, or because there’s something attached to that setup, knowing the person will lose his career and everything, that’s exactly what we don’t want in our society. When they arrested Baba Ijesha, a few days later, the police ran a test on the same girl and found sperm on her. That led to the arrest of one Damola Adekola and the security guard of the house, Okele. Those two are at large, and the police refused to go after them. And the sad reality is the girl will look at it that in the same house, these are the people having sex with me. You claim to be my foster mother, yet you didn’t go after these people. It was in this same house that you invited your friend and then accused me of having sex. Meanwhile, the real people having sex with me are still working for you.
Do you see yourself as being controversial?
I would say that given how we were brought up, people struggle to understand how an actor can dedicate his time to a humanitarian cause like this. The easiest way for them to interpret my personality is by labelling it as controversial. But I don’t need to beg people or try to convince them that I’m not controversial just because I stand up for certain issues. Let them hold onto that title if they want, until, perhaps, their own children become enlightened and start fighting for the same causes I stand for. When that time comes, will they also call their children controversial for fighting for the rights of others? The truth is most of us were not raised to stand up for the rights of others. And when you do, the oppressor will always try to label you. Some believe that being a celebrity means staying ‘clean’ and avoiding anything that could ‘stain’ your name. But if you fight for justice, there will always be someone on the other side who gives you a label, because most people love to oppress and get away with it. And when you confront them, telling them that their actions are unacceptable and an abuse of human rights, they’ll question what a human right is. The reality is that many people don’t even know their rights. So, those who don’t understand what I stand for may perceive it as controversial.
You have two children, one in South Africa and one from your wife. Are you officially divorced, or just separated?
I was never married to her. I have only been married once in my life. I have two baby mamas.
How do you feel about the situation? Do you feel a certain emptiness? The first woman alleged that you initially rejected the child, and now she has blocked you from seeing them. I notice that when you post about the child’s birthday, you use an old picture. Meanwhile, with your second child, you had a well-publicised naming ceremony.
I do keep in touch with my child. A lot of things started happening in the media, and honestly, the only thing I would have done differently is to pay closer attention to the personalities of these women. I have a penchant for loyalty, I am a loyal person. The only thing that can truly upset me is disloyalty. But if I see loyalty in someone, I can go to great lengths for them. Nothing can separate us. And that’s the thing, only a few women are truly built with loyalty. Many believe in love but not in loyalty. When people say that behind every successful man, there’s a woman, they often fail to complete the statement. It should be an acutely loyal woman, one who will stand by that man through thick and thin. That’s why only a few marriages last. It’s not just about me; think about it, how many marriages have truly stood the test of time in the last 20 years? Many people make the mistake of prioritising physical attraction. I made that mistake, too, falling for appearances instead of looking deeper into character. But for a marriage to last, what keeps you holding on isn’t just love; it’s the certainty that no matter what happens, the person will stand by you. Unfortunately, that is something I have yet to find in the women I have been with. And that is sad.
Regarding your children, there have been claims that you rejected one of them at first. What’s your stance on that?
Let’s be clear, I never denied my child. If I have sex with a woman as an adult and she tells me she’s pregnant, my first instinct is to accept it. I don’t fight over children with women. I have a personal philosophy: a woman owns the child. If a woman wants me in the child’s life, I will be there 100%. But if someone tries to use the child as a tool to punish me, I won’t accept that. I refuse to be manipulated in that way.
In a recent interview, Wunmi claimed that you hate her. What do you have against her?
First of all, this isn’t even a conversation I like entertaining because, at the end of the day, the only victim here is Mohbad. Everything else is secondary. Mohbad lived a difficult life, and his death was suspicious. The police themselves confirmed that he was injected by an unqualified person, which led to his death. That alone makes it a homicide case. And yet, despite this, certain key individuals, his wife, his brother, and his uncle, were never treated as suspects, even though they were the last people with him. Now, let’s talk about the three-second video. Mohbad’s younger brother personally told me he had a video of a fight between Wunmi and Mohbad. He described how Wunmi pushed him until he hit his head on the floor. I asked for proof, and he sent me a three-second clip. I took it to the police, but they refused to release the full video. Why? Later, another eyewitness, Zumo, confirmed that there was indeed a fight, but he claimed Wunmi was fighting him instead. That doesn’t add up. Why would a wife be fighting her husband’s friend? And then Zumo later admitted that no, it was actually Wunmi and Mohbad fighting. The problem is people are quick to paint her as a helpless widow, but the truth is she was present when Mohbad died. Until she is properly investigated and cleared, I will keep asking questions.
What is your ultimate goal in all of this?
Justice for Mohbad. I want the Lagos State Attorney General to compel the police to release the phone they’ve been hiding. That phone contains evidence that could lead to the truth. And trust me, I would bet my life on it.
Whose phone is it?
Adura claimed he owned it, then said he sold it to Damola who just so happened to be present when Mohbad was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. That phone is key, and I don’t understand why the police are protecting it. At the end of the day, this isn’t about personal grudges. It’s about truth and justice. And I won’t stop pushing until we get it.
