Cleric arrested for allegedly hypnotising man’s wife, children for 13 yrs
The Zone 2 Command of Nigeria Police Force, Lagos, has arrested a cleric, Alhaji Afeez Imoleayo, his wife and herbalist in connection with alleged abduction of wife of a United States-based Nigerian and their children.
The harbalist allegedly hyponitised and kept the woman and her children for 13 years in his apartment in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.
The cleric popularly called Alfa Imoleayo, was alleged to have hypnotised the US-based Nigerian, identified simply as Mr. Animasaun and compelled him to change his name to Imoleayo.
He was also alleged to have compelled the woman and children to change their names from Animashaun to Imoleayo.
The 43-year-old Imoleayo was further alleged to have incurred an accumulated debt of N15 million in Mr. Animasaun’s name and compelled him to pay while in the United States.
Imoleayo was arrested alongside four other suspects, Ramon Uthman, Saidi Ajayi, Alhaja Monsurat Salami and Kikelomo
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Mohammed Ali, in charge of the zone, explained that the arrest was made following a petition received from the US-based Nigerian in July.
He said the petitioner explained that he met the cleric, after listening to his sermon during one of his visits to Nigeria.
The AIG said that the petitioner claimed that he exchanged numbers with the cleric who later allegedly brainwashed him.
According to the complainant, the suspect convinced him to change his surname, wife’s and children, as well as international passport to Afeez Imoleayo, instead of
Animasuan.
“After that was done, Alfa (Imoleayo) would collect a loan here in Nigeria on the US-based Nigerian’s name, while he (US-based Nigerian) will be working over there to service the loan here in Nigeria.
“This went on for over 13 years before God Almighty opened his eyes and he came back to Nigeria to report.
“As I speak, the victim’s travelling documents no longer bear his name as well as his wife and children’s birth certificates. They all bear the Alfa’s name.
“I am using this medium to advise members of the public to be very careful of the kind of people they meet in religious gatherings, be it Islam or Christian crusades as some of them are evil in disguise.”
However, speaking with journalists, the 43-year-old principal suspect, Imoleayo, described the allegation as false.
“I lived with the boy (Animasaun) in the same building in Ikorodu. He used to assist me whenever we were having any Islamic crusade. He at various times donated to the success of the crusade.
“But at the end of the day, the Police came to my house to conduct a search but found nothing. They said he alleged I defrauded him but I did not,” he added.
Asked why the complainant, his wife and children changed their names to his, he replied: “He did it on his own. He did not only change his surname from Animasaun to Uthman Imoleayo, he also changed his wife’s and children’s names to mine and when I asked why he did it, he said he wanted it that way.”
He also denied abducting the complainant’s wife and children.
“I did not abduct her. He brought his wife to me when she was sick. We treated her and when she was well, he told me to allow his wife and children to live with me because she was always having issues in Ibadan where she lived. His family has been staying with me for 10 to 13 years now.
“As for the car they said I took from him, I never did. Another person gave me the car. I also never threatened to kill him like he claimed.
“The herbalist they said I worked with does not have anything to do with this.
“The last time I saw the herbalist was seven or eight years ago. He was the one that taught me how to treat people with herbs.”
The suspects, according to the AIG, would be charged to court at the end of the investigation.
