Fake clerics nabbed for alleged fraud, serial rape

Three self-acclaimed Islamic clerics have been arrested by operatives of the Ogun State police command for alleged fraud and rape. The suspects – Aliu Abdulfatai, 50; Sule Adebayo, 36; and 31-year-old Lekan Olokodana – were described as specialists in raping and in swindling people. Our correspondent gathered that the arrest of the suspects followed a […]

Three self-acclaimed Islamic clerics have been arrested by operatives of the Ogun State police command for alleged fraud and rape.

The suspects – Aliu Abdulfatai, 50; Sule Adebayo, 36; and 31-year-old Lekan Olokodana – were described as specialists in raping and in swindling people.

Our correspondent gathered that the arrest of the suspects followed a report by a female victim (whose name the police withheld) to the Adigbe police station in Abeokuta that the men had duped her of N70,000.

According to the complainant, who is a marketer with a popular property/real estate company, she was on a marketing assignment when she came across the suspects, who claimed to be Islamic clerics and indicated interest in purchasing a large expanse of land they wanted to use for the construction of a mosque.   She further alleged that the men introduced her to a special prayer on the pretext she was under a spell and needed deliverance to free her.

The complainant said the self-acclaimed clerics succeeded in fraudulently obtaining the sum of N70,000 from her after they lured her into their house, where one of them forcefully also raped her.

Police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident yesterday, saying the suspects were promptly arrested following the complaint from the woman.

“On interrogation, the men confessed being fraudsters. It was also revealed that one of them had used the proceeds of their fraudulent act to build a private school in Ikorodu, Lagos State,” Oyeyemi said.