The Oyo
State Police Command yesterday paraded a gang of highly fetish 419 syndicate
which specialised in defrauding unsuspecting citizens of huge sums of money.
The
breakthrough was made by the Command’s anti-Kidnapping Squad who discovered the
gang’s shrines at Baale-Ayo, Asejire and Balogun village off Eleyele/Ido road
as well as two poultry farms each of which costs 50 million naira while the
cummulative value of their illegal services is over 800 million naira.
Oyo State
Police Commissioner, Muhammed Katsina parading suspected fraudsters arrested
yesterday in Ibadan. On display are their juju costumes which the Police
discovered in the building that harbours their shrines. Photo: Dare Fasube
The
suspects include Sherifat Badamosi, a female, 48 years who played the role of
the witch, Samsondeen Abiola a male, 42 years, a photographer whose role was to
lure rich victims to their trap, Oriyomi Adebayo a male, 41 years, who played
the role of a spy, Alhaji Akeem Azeez Olayode, a male, 37 years, leader of the
gang and Ayankule Ayanlowo a male, 43 years who played the role of a fake
herbalist.
According
to Azeez Olayode, who admitted to be a ‘419’ said “I was a Fuji musician and my
stage name is Santana, I was duped and those who duped me told me to become a
fraudster in a bid to retrieve my money and that was how I started.
I started
6 years ago, I don’t know those people we dupe personally, I am usually linked
up when their is any job, they call on me. They call me when they have
customers so that we can work together.
I help
them in blending leaves for concoction. When someone who has problem comes to
the Babalawo for diabetes, stroke or other ailments, the man whom we work
together has juju, he will cure the diabetes or any other ailment they bring,
when the problem is cured, we ask the person to pay a certain amount.
The
Babalawo is not genuine, he is a fake Babalawo. I can say I have duped like 10
people, the first person paid 30 million naira to cure diabetes, he paid in
batches like 5,7,8 million. Their was one that had injury in the leg which was
not healing up and he paid 15 million naira”.
Another
suspect, Ayankunle Ayanlowo, who admitted to be a fake herbalist said, “I know
how to make concoction, I get connected through Azeez Olayode to the clients and
they pay me 500,000 naira per operation, I don’t have a car but I have a
house”.
For the
photographer, Mr Samsondeen, ” I met Mr Olayode at Options, a club very close
to officers mess, I am a photographer, I take photographs at options and that
was how I got his contact. When his child was doing Islamic graduation I did
three albums for him so I see him as a customer. When the Police came to my
house that night, they asked if I was the photographer they called on phone and
I was told to follow them. I move around, I don’t have a shop, I am even
supposed to be in Ilorin presently” he said.
Among the
items recovered from the syndicate are three assorted cars, a toyota venza
saloon car which costs 4.8 million naira, 4matic mercedes benz jeep which costs
6 million naira, honda crosstour saloon car which 3.5 million naira and
assorted criminal charms.
According
to the Commissioner of Police Mohammad Musa Katsina, “this place is a place
where many victims have visited and all of them came here but left this environment
in bruises. The gentleman (Azeez Olayode) who spoke with you is the leader of
this hypnotising syndicate that whenever you are brought here, they do
everything to diminish your sense or any sense in you and as result they subdue
you to the point of parting with anything that is valuable. He met an
octogenarian who is in Ibadan and dispossessed him of the sum of 30 million
naira. Somebody living in the United States of America who came to this place
was also unfortunate enough to have fallen into their trap, he did not leave
their trap until they defrauded him the sum of 20 million naira, they have
duped many people here and today we are here and has I did tell you I have the
capacity and well withal to deal with them to chase them wherever they are” he
said.
On behalf
of the people of Oloya village, the youth leader however expressed his
gratitude and appreciated the efforts of the Police to save them from this
menace saying all efforts made by them have been abortive”.
Vanguard news.
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