By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

|

Detectives of Osun State Police Command have arrested a syndicate who specialises in defrauding some unsuspecting members of the public.

The alleged fraudsters, led by one Mr Muideen Adekunle, were arrested by a crack team of detectives at a shrine located at Oke-Bode, off Kajola Town, Atakunmosa local government, Osun State, on March 23, 2023.

Hope Metro  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.

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 whereabouts of the $25,000, the suspect 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 strongly suspected to be the leader of the gang asked Alade and the suspect to come to the shrine at Oke Bode.

“On getting to the shrine around 8pm, the leader reportedly 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 was asked to pay a sum of $90,000 to make sacrifice for him to be able to access the money.

However, after interrogation Adekunle, the leader of the syndicate reportedly admitted  collecting a sum of N10million from Alade, out of which he refunded N3million.

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. And also 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. The suspect was yet to be charged to court as of the time of filing this report