EbonyHerald Stores Ebony Herald News24
Related Articles
The Crime Detectives of Osun State Police Command have arrested a syndicate who are specialized in defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.
The group of the suspected fraudsters, led by one Mr Muideen Adekunle, were arrested by a crack team of the police at a shrine located at Oke-Bode, off Kajola Town, Atakunmosa local government, Osun State, on March 23, 2023.
Informed sources said that Adekunle and other suspects were arrested following complaints from one of their victims, Mr Israel Alade.
Alade was reportedly duped of several millions of naira by the suspects on the pretence of connecting him to big politicians like the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Governor Ademola Adeleke, among others.
The victim, who wanted to venture into politics in Osun State, was connected to the syndicate by his kinsman, one Rauf Akintunde, who vouched for Adekunle’s political influence and spiritual power needed to realise the victim’s aspiration.
It was gathered that Adekunle, who is said to be a dealer of an herbal mixture in Osogbo, allegedly stole a sum of $25,000 at Alade’s house when the suspect visited and persuaded him to have a spiritual bath with a soap at his house at Halleluyah area, Osogbo, on March 7, 2023.
Adekunle, popularly known as Aare, allegedly stole the sum when Alade was having the spiritual bath inside his bathroom.
According to police sources, “When Alade asked Adekunle, his guest, about the whereabout of the whereabout of the $25,000 the suspected denied stealing it, but declared that awon iya ti mu (witches have taken the money).
“When Alade didn’t buy the story, the suspect put a call to another person who acted a venerable sage in their gang; the person asked Alade and the suspect to come to the shrine at Oke Bode.
“On getting to the shrine around 8pm, the venerable sage pleaded with Alade to calm down; and promised to compensate him for the stolen $25,000. Alade was shown a dark room full of US dollars and he was asked to pay a sum of $90,000 to make sacrifice for him to be able to access the money.
“Sensing danger of not complying, Alade played along and promised to look for the money, and was able to leave the shrine alive.”
Alade, according to the sources, continued to asked for the stolen $25,000 from Adekunle, just as he did not pay a dime to the syndicate for ritual purposes as demanded.
However, the suspects threatened to kill Alade if he continues to ask for the stolen money, bragging that they have their agents everywhere to get to the victim.
Alade reported to the police at State Criminal Investigation Department which led to the arrest of the suspects.
However, after interrogation Adekunle, the leader of the syndicate reportedly admitted to collecting just a sum of N10m from Alade, out of which he refunded N3m.
Adekunle, in a ‘sworn affidavit to restitute/refund monetary proceed of crime, promised to be paying a sum of N500,000 every month to balance the remaining N7m.
He sworn to the affidavit on March 28, 2023, at the High Court of Justice, Osogbo.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Osun Command, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, confirmed Adekunle’s arrest.
However, the suspect was yet to be charged to court as of the time of filing this report
