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Abdulazeez Abubakar
6 hours ago
Overview
British court ignored CCTV evidence, wrongly convicted my son of robbery – Nigerian mother
A United Kingdom-based woman, Mrs Olayinka Akinrinola, shares her pain with BIODUN BUSARI over how her son, Oluwatobiloba, was wrongly accused of robbery, prosecuted without proper investigation and convicted
Before we discuss your son’s case, tell us about yourself and the work of your foundation.
My name is Mrs Olayinka Akinrinola. I’m married to Mr Aderinkola Akinrinola, and we’re both residents of the United Kingdom. I am the Founder and Executive Director of the Olayinka Akinrinola Foundation, while my husband is the Co-founder and International Director.
We focus on orphanages and supporting vulnerable communities by providing basic needs. Our goal is to improve people’s quality of life. My childhood experiences inspired me to establish the foundation and dedicate my life to helping the less privileged.
Are you a prophetess, as many people call you?
It is simply a title that has been associated with me since birth. I do not pastor a church. I am currently undertaking a PhD programme.
What prompted your relocation to the United Kingdom?
The motivation was the search for a better life and greener pastures. By God’s grace, we’ve lived in the UK for over 20 years. We are blessed with three children. In a nutshell, our migration was driven by the desire to provide a better life for our children.
How would you describe your son, Oluwatobiloba?
We gave birth to him in the UK, and he had all his education there. Last September, he gained admission to the University of Leicester for his undergraduate degree.
He’s sociable, kind-hearted, generous and selfless. Our son is friendly, humble and soft-spoken. He has a very good character and is a well-behaved young man.
Can you walk us through what happened on the night that eventually led to your son’s arrest and prosecution?
What really happened was that there was a general invitation for students to attend a party. The party was on November 21, 2025. So, my son, his friends, and acquaintances went together. When they got to the party, my son, being a sociable fellow, started exchanging pleasantries with people.
He realised that those he came with were nowhere to be found. So, while he was mingling, he heard a commotion from a particular apartment and walked in, only to encounter an unusual atmosphere.
While observing what was happening, he saw a particular offender being challenged by another young man. The young man told the offender he was not going to make any payment. My son looked at the whole scene and left because he was not interested. People there said a pair of brand-new shoes had been stolen.
As such, the offender was trying to collect his money. My son made it clear that he was not interested in whatever was happening and left the vicinity.
When did you first learn that your son had become linked to the incident, and what did he tell you?
The following morning, people started calling him, asking if he had heard about what happened at the party. He told them what he saw and that he was never part of it. They asked him whether there had been a robbery. He said there hadn’t been any robbery because he was at the party. At one point, he told them that even if there had been a robbery, he was not involved.
Later that morning, I went to a hotel not far from where my son was staying. I went to check on him, and they said he was always mentioning a place called Tannery.
What happened when he later went to Tannery?
He’s always going to that place called Tannery. So, they told him to come there because a guy was going there to play. He agreed since he wasn’t doing anything. While he was preparing to go, the offender asked him to come because something was happening at the tannery. When he got there, he noticed the atmosphere.
He arrived there and made a phone call. One of the people arrested confirmed that when he arrived, my son was actually on the phone. There was a correlation between his statement and the evidence because those are the things that should have been investigated.
Whatever my son stated in his statement was consistent with the evidence presented in court. I believe those things should have been considered. My son said he was on the phone.
Another person confirmed that my son was outside on the phone when the alleged crime occurred. After making the call, he left. So, he did not know what happened inside.
How did the incident become a public issue online?
A few days later, a popular TikToker and influencer in the UK started posting that my son was a robber. She circulated the claim, and before we knew it, it had gone viral. My daughters saw the video. When they informed me, I notified my son. It was he who called the police.
He said he was willing to come in for an interview. The police told him not to come because it had nothing to do with him. They said he was not a suspect and should not come. They advised him not to be bothered by whatever he had seen on social media.
https://punchng.com/british-court-ignored-cctv-evidence-wrongly-convicted-my-son-of-robbery-nigerian-mother/
