Hon. Timothy Ogunleye: Police Warns; "Beware Of Many Fraudsters Pretending To Be Clerics"

The Nigeria Police Force,  Osun State Command has responded to the viral video of one Hon Timothy Ogunleye where his naked video has been an issue. 

In a press release by the Police Public Relation Officer,  Osun State Police Command, SP Folashade Odoro,  she said that Hon. Timothy Ogunleye was a victim of a syndicates of fraudsters. 

The Police Spokesperson advised the general public to be mindful of who they approach for spiritual help as records have shown that there are many fraudsters pretending to be  clerics. 

"The Command also wishes to encourage anyone going through the kind of ordeal meted to Mr Timothy Ogunleye to summon the courage to report to the Police,  the statement concluded.

Excerpt is the full text of the press release:

RE: CASE OF CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY, ADVANCE FEE FRAUD, ATTEMPTED MURDER COMMITTED AGAINST HON TIMOTHY OGUNLEYE .

Sometime in the month of July, 2018, a petition written by one Barrister O.A. Adebiyi & Co submitted on behalf of Hon. Timothy Owoeye, the Majority leader, Osun State House of Assembly against a syndicate of fraudsters was received in the office of the Osun State Commissioner of Police.

2.. The petitioner alleged that one Mr. Kazeem Agbabiaka Ajetumobi ‘m’ of Oke-Imesi, Ekiti in the month of March, 2018, invited him to Oke-Imesi Ekiti, where he was introduced to some people he claimed were to perform spiritual cleansing for him. He further stated in the said petition that he was hypnotized and defrauded of the sum of N38m (Thirty-eight million naira only) in the course of the said spiritual cleansing.

3. He also alleged that the syndicate later led him to Oloja-Ibala village via Osunjela where he was handed over to other members of the syndicate who assaulted and inflicted injuries on him and later forced him to remove his dress and went ahead to do a video recording of the victim in his nakedness. According to him they later resorted to blackmailing and obtaining more money from him with the said video. 

4. Police detectives immediately swung into action and arrested five members of the fraud syndicate namely:

    i) Kazeem Agbabiaka Ajetumobi ‘m’

    ii) Alhaji Femi Oyebode ‘m’ a.k.a. “Atona”

  iii) Abdul Rassheed Ojonla ‘m’ a.k.a. “Apase Oodua”

  iv) Babatunde Oluajo ‘m’ and;

 v) Adebiyi Kehinde Oseni ‘m’ a.k.a. “Jagun”.

5. During the interrogation, all the arrested suspects confessed to the commission of the crime while a sum of N8, 850,000:00 (eight million eight hundred and fifty thousand Naira only) and some charms were  recovered from them. The confession of the suspects led to the arrest of three other members of the syndicate who partook in assaulting and injuring the petitioner at Oloja-Ibala via Osujela before going ahead to do a video recording of the victim in his nakedness. 

6. Investigation has therefore revealed that:

    a) Mr Timothy Ogunleye was a victim of a syndicates of fraudsters

   b) the fraudsters obtained a sum of N38 million from the victim

   c) the victim was made to go borrowing and even sold some of his valuable belongings to meet some of the tough demands of the fraudsters

    d) the fraudsters were responsible for the assault and injuries caused the victim at Oloja-Ibala village

   e) the syndicate was also responsible for video recording the victim in his nakedness

    f) the said video was used to threaten the victim with a view to disuading him from lodging any complaint with the Police

    g) the victim however shunned the threat and reported his ordeal to the Police

  h) the video had been used to obtain money from the suspect before he reported to the Police

      h) there is no evidence to show that the victim killed anyone 

7. All the suspects have been charged to court and remanded in prison custody. Meanwhile, efforts are being intensified to arrest other members of the syndicate whose names were given as Alhaja Sekinat a.k.a. “Iyalaje Oyo town” and Sunkanmi Onikoko of Ile-Ife. 

8. Members of the public are hereby advised to be mindful of who they approach for spiritual help as records have shown that there are many fraudsters pretending to be  clerics. The Command also wishes to encourage anyone going through the kind of ordeal meted to Mr Timothy Ogunleye to summon the courage to report to the Police.