° Be wary of Muslim Clerics and Pastors – Police
By Nkasi Paul Okolie
Mr. Animashahun Oluwasegun, who was allegedly hypnotized by a Muslim Cleric ( Alfa), and swindled him of the sum of N105 million,has told how the cleric forced him to change his name,that of wife, and children to that of the Alfa .
The victim cried out to the police to save him from the man who allegedly vowed to kill him.
The police from Zone 2 Police Command headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, however, swung into action , arrested the cleric and the native doctor who prepared the hypnotizing charms for the cleric.
Oluwasegun, a Nigerian, based in America ,told how he met the popular cleric ,who he alleged placed him on oath not to spill the beans or he would die.
Among the things the American returnee, alleged that the Alfa took from him, were : his wife, children , three cars , landed properties all over Lagos,” he seized my wife and children for over 10 years, and forced me to change our names to his”.
Narrating his ordeals in the hands of the Alfa, he said that he met the Islamic cleric,
Afeez Uthman Imolayo, 43, who claimed to be the founder of Amaaniyat – UR- Rahman global congregation, during Ramadan period, where he was preaching and after the preaching they exchange phone contacts and became friends.
“I met him in 1999, during Ramadan prayer,and we became family friends. Since then, we started doing things together like family. My family and I used to do our Ramadan prayer in his house annually. In the year 2011 I travelled to United States of America.
” When I came back in 2012, I went to visit him and he gave me some concortion to drink and bath. He claimed that the act would prevent me from evil eyes. Since I took the concortion , I could not understand what I was doing. Even whenever I visited Nigeria,he would be the one that would pick me up at the airport to his house, where he would give me another concortion to drink and bath with.
“I was in USA in 2013 when he called me that there were businesses in Nigeria that he wanted me to invest, especially in property business and transportation. While in 2016 he called me again and requested for a Spot Utility vehicle(SUV) I bought and shipped to him.It was one of his boys working with him ,Saheed Ajayi , that went to clear the vehicle. I was also surprised when he said my wife and children should come to stay with him as some enemies were planning to kill them. I allowed them to start living in his house as slaves for over 10 years. I didn’t know what I was doing.He has rendered me useless. He used charms on me,that I didn’t know what I was doing. I changed my name, that of my children, wife ,landed properties , international passports, including that of my wife and children to his . I thank God for coming to my rescue. My eyes are now cleared . The spell fell of my eyes .I have regained my senses,but I have to start up life again. He would collect loan from people and asked me to pay the loan. All I made in US ,was for him. One day, God delivered me and my eyes were opened, so ,I flew in to Nigeria and cried to the police who have arrested him”.
However, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Police Command, Mr Ari Mohammed Ali,who paraded the suspect, his wife,and three others,said, “on July 17 2023, Mr. Oluwasegun, also known as Afeez Uthman, brought a petition of Criminal conspiracy, compelling action by intimidation ,obtaining by false pretence, threat to life , suspected ritualist, stealing, criminal charms and conduct likely to cause breach of peace against Alhaji Afeez Uthman Imole Ayo,and Alhaja Mushirafat Kekelomo Salaam ,a female, Saheed Ajayi Uthma Temidayo Rashmon, and others now at large.
The AIG, said the petition was referred to the anti piracy unit of the zone, for discrete investigation. The team of operatives led by SP Mariam Ogunmolasuyi, swung into action and apprehended five suspects in connection with the alleged crimes. One white Toyota Venza 2009 model, one Ashuk Leland bus, with registration number JJJ933YD, and various landed properties were recovered from the suspect .
According to Ali, the suspect, Ayo 43, claimed to be an Islamic Cleric and founder of Amaaniyat – UR- Rahman global congregation.
The AIG said: “the suspect abducted the petitioners wife and children for more than 10 years, subsequently changed the complainants wife and children’s names to his personal name through the help of his wife, Alhaja Mushirafat Kikelomo Salaam for extortion purposes. He then converted all the petitioners properties to his own personal use, and also compelled the complaint who he placed under oath to be paying the loans that he took. All the money the complaint was making in America was being sent to the suspect,who claimed that God directed him to do so.
“It was God that opened the petitioners eyes 10 years after when he realized that what he was doing was not ordinary and got himself together, relocated from USA, where he is based, and put up the petition. It is my humble advice to both Muslim and Christian faithful to be careful with whoever is called Pastor or Alfa. You should be careful because,not all that gliters is gold.The wife of the suspect confessed to the falsification and alterations of the birth documents papers of the complainant’s children by changing the children birth identities to Alhaji Afeez Uthman name without the complaints consent. She also admitted to have received over $17,000 US equivalent of N11.817 million. A herbalist, Oyedokun Amos 65, who usually assisted the suspect to prepare charms to hyptonise his customer confessed that he knew the suspect for over 15 years and they became friends and business partners. He confessed that he was helping the suspect to prepare some charms.
He said the investigation revealed that the suspect met the complainant at a crusade ground in Lagos and that after which they became friends.
“The complainant is based in the USA and became close to the suspect about 16 years ago. While they were friends the complainant started to send the suspect some money to help him carry out a project,but rather than the suspect do the project ,he converted the complainant’s entire savings amounting to over N105 million to his personal use.
“As if that was not enough, he took over the man’s wife, children, and two cars. He also went as far as changing the man’s wife and children’s names into his. The names on their traveling documents were also changed. We will soon charge the suspect and his accomplices to Court”.
In his confessional statement to the police, the suspect admitted to have received N105 million from the victim, Oluwasegun,who he claimed was his spiritual son, saying ,” he gave me the money and landed properties, changed his name, that of his wife and children to mine , out of his own will. I didn’t use any means to convince him to change his name and all the documents to my name.He decided to change his name on his American International Passport and social security number from his original name to mine”.
