A United States of America (US)-based Nigerian, Animashaun (surname withheld), yesterday narrated how an Islamic cleric, Afeez Uthman Imoleayo, ‘charmed’ him for over 12 years.
During this period, Animashaun said Imoleayo coveted his wife, children andN100million properties.
The victim, a 40-year-old father of three, was at the Zone Two headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, where the cleric, his wife, Kikelomo, a native doctor, Oyedokun Adebare, Ramon Temidayo Uthman, Saidi Ajayi and Alhaja Monsurat Salami were paraded by the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Ari Mohammed Ali.
Narrating his ordeal, Animashaun, who said he came in contact with the cleric in 2009 during a Ramadan lecture, said that he trusted and respected him as a religious leader.
Read Also: BREAKING: Uproar in Senate over Keyamo’s nomination
He said they became family friends from then and were praying together before he relocated to the US in 2011, adding that he maintained the contact with him as his spiritual leader.
Animashaun said he returned in 2012 and was picked at the airport by Uthman, who took him to his house, brought some concoction and told him that God instructed him to eat and drink them for his safety. He said the cleric also gave him some of it to bath with, adding that he obeyed without questioning and was locked inside a room by the Alfa.
“Each time I come back, he would come and pick me at the airport and say I shouldn’t go to my family because my life was in danger. He would feed me those concoctions and lock me inside a room and I will just be doing everything he says.
“When I returned in 2013, he called me that there were business opportunities in Nigeria he would want me to invest in. He told me about real estate at Ikorodu and Island, transportation business and that I should invest in them.
“So, I have been sending money to him since 2013 for these investments and in 2016, he requested for SUV, I bought, shipped and delivered the SUV to him in Nigeria. I got the bill of lading and sent to him, it was cleared by Saheed Ajayi, he is one of the suspects and I continued sending money to him.
“So, for all these periods, I couldn’t go to my family. I couldn’t go to my mum because whatever he told me to do was what I did. So, in 2012, my wife and children went to the mosque for the annual Ramadan programme and he said God instructed that they should stay with him. That if left, they are going to die or something bad would happen to them. I agreed since he’s a man of God that I trusted not knowing that he was busy exploiting me.”
The complainant said that he was exploited to the point that the cleric asked him to change his name on his US passport to reflect his own and he obeyed, adding that he thereafter got a loan which he sent to the cleric. He said the cleric had access to his credit cards, adding that he even tried to make him change the name on his Nigerian passport but did not succeed as they were told at the Passport office that it could only be done in Abuja and he didn’t have the time to go to Abuja.
He said he started regaining his senses after he loaned the cleric money in 2021 which belonged to three of his friends and the man was supposed to pay back in three months.
“But after the second month, he called me and said I should send the names of my friends who have the money so that he would cast a spell on them to forget the money. That was the first signal to me that I have been under a spell myself.
“I have some landed properties somewhere else, he requested for the documents that I should change those names into his name because that would make it more blessed because I bought it without his knowledge.
“Before now, in 2019, when I told him I wanted to relocate my family to the US, he changed the names of my wife and children to bear his name. That was surprising to me. When I asked, he said God told him to do it. Then, last year, he told me that God said that everything I have that were under his care belonged to him and that I should not request for them. That means, all the investments, my wife and children now belong to him and I should not demand for them or I will die.
“The money I sent to him for the businesses, he has not been able to repay anyone. The money I have the records of records is N105 million. This does not include cash and gifts I gave him.
“He now threatened that if I should go to any of my family members or if I should report to the law that I am going to die or have a mental issue and on the day of resurrection, he is going to make sure he condemn me to hell.
They opened a verse in the Quran in Suratul Azhab that was saying that one of the companions of the prophet died while he was fighting and the prophet ended up marrying his wife. That’s Zaid ibn Artha and he told me if I should ask for my properties or my money that I would die and he’s going to marry my wife or I’m going to be in a mental hospital and who’s going to marry a madman? That was his response.
“He believes in soul transmigration, I mean, he believed he is Adam and his wife is Eve; he is Abraham and his wife is Sarah. He believes he is Musa and his wife is Haroun…so his wife is popularly known as the mother of the believers where he lives.
“So, after I realised what has been happening to me and the threats from he and his wife, I had to run for my life and it took me over a year to reorganise myself and recollect my memories. That’s when I reported to the authorities and they commenced their investigation.”
“I thought he was protecting me not knowing that he hypnotized me, brainwashed and psychologically kidnapped me, my family and extorted me for years.
“Well, I asked my wife the relationship she had with him? She said nothing happened. But I have got up to 10 witnesses who claimed he was sleeping with her. I asked her if she didn’t notice anything wrong? She said she did but he told her if she ever said anything, he would ask me to leave her and I will obey because I do everything he says.”
Parading the suspects, AIG Ali said the zonal command received a petition on July 17 from the complainant, accusing the suspects of intimidation, obtaining by false pretenses, stealing, threatening to kill by written words, suspected ritualist and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace.
He said operatives from the Zonal Anti- Piracy Unit were deployed and they immediately swung into action and got some of the suspects arrested, who allegedly conspired, abducted the complainant’s wife and children through which N105,000,000 was obtained with a written threat to kill the complainant and his family members.
“The principal suspects Alh. Afeez Uthman Imoleayo and his cronies also falsified the complainant’s children’s birth certificates and compelled the complainant to relinquish all his properties to him.
“Consequently, when the principal suspect Alh. Afeez Uthman Imoleayo was interrogated, he admitted the allegations against him for obtaining the alleged sum of N105 million. He also converted Model 2004 Chevrolet Rain Blazer SUV valued $9,700 USD equivalent to N5,600,000 and abducted the complainant’s wife and three children for twelve years, changed their vital documents such as birth certificates etcetera belonging to the complainant in connivance with his wife Alhaja Kikelomo and one Saidi Ajayi, his driver.
“The modus operandi of the suspect is by pretending to be a prayer partner with his victims as he is a strong member of an Islamic society called “Ansarullai Youth at Ikorodu, Lagos State.”
The AIG said Bus Rapid Transport buses, a white Toyota Venza, a silver Corolla, charms and other exhibits were recovered from the suspects, adding that investigation was ongoing and they would be charged to court.
But the cleric denied coveting the complainant’s wife and children, claiming he only changed their names so they could bear the same name as their father.
He admitted receiving money from the complainant for investments but could not state the exact amount nor what he did with them.
Uthman denied deploying diabolic tactics on the complainant insisting he knew nothing about the charms, fresh blood and other fetish items displayed by the police
However, he could not explain his relationship with the native doctor who he allegedly bought a space bus for and had worked together with for over 15 years.