Among those arrested by the police were 48 year old Sherifat Badamosi, who played the role of the witch, 42 year old Samsondeen Abiola a photographer whose role was to lure rich victims to their trap, 41 year old Oriyomi Adebayo who played the role of a spy, 37 year old Alhaji Akeem Azeez Olayod who is the leader of the gang and 43 year old Ayankule Ayanlowo who played the role of a fake herbalist.
The leader of the syndicate, Azeez Olayode while confessing to the crime 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”he saidThe fake herbalist in the group, Ayankunle Ayanlowo while confessing 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, he said
"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.Items recovered from the syndicate included three 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 worth N3.5 million naira and assorted criminal charms.
Speaking with journalists after parading the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police Mohammad Musa Katsina said
“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 as I did tell you I have the capacity and well withal to deal with them to chase them wherever they are” he said.
Source: Vanguard
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