Two ‘white witches’ and two other members of a fraud syndicate were arrested by men of the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly duping a couple of N14.5 million.
The ‘witches’ identified as Risikat Oriyomi, Sola Babalola; and the other suspects; Shehu Salam, and Wasiu Ajani ─ were nabbed in Omusorin village, Obafemi/ Owode Local Government Area.
The fifth suspect, Baba Awotola, who was the ring leader fled the vicinity on sighting the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
The couple were introduced to the fraudsters by Ajani, a native of Ilorin, Kwara State, who claimed to be an Islamic cleric.
The state commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye, who facilitated the arrest of the fraudsters on Tuesday, September 9, 2014 said Ajani had lured the couple, who were rice merchants, into their net.
Ajani reportedly used the name of a late popular Islamic cleric to deceive the victims.
Ikemefuna explained that Ajani was dressed in Islamic cassock and hung nine different praying rosaries on his neck.
Ajani approached the couple around Owode Onirin, Lagos State, and gave them a revelation of a problem before them which needed to be averted through special prayers.
He said, “The suspect also told them to buy a measure of salt and give it as alms to three beggars.
“He later told the husba nd to buy a local egg, and used it to pray, circling it around his head three times.”
According to the commissioner, Ajani later used the egg as a bait to lure the couple to their den, where they began to swindle them
The couple, who pleaded anonymity, said the syndicate, under the pretence of averting evil spirit collected N14.5m in three installments by using two women Risiqat and Sola as ‘white witches’ who claimed to offer prayers to ward off evil.
The witches, who claimed to come from heaven, after the said deliverance prayer demanded money to fly back to heaven.
Ajani said he got the information about the couple from their leader Baba Awotola.
He said, “Baba Awotola introduced me to this shady business. He was the one who gave the information about the couple. He promised me a car and a sum of N300,000, but he only gave me and Shehu N100,000 each.”
The ‘witches’ revealed they got N5,000 each per visitation.
