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.

Can you describe how your son’s arrest unfolded?

However, on December 3, he was arrested. I think he was with a friend, but that friend was later released. They seized his trainers, jacket, iPad, and watches. They took all of them away.

We could not hear from him until later that night. Their position was that he was an adult, so they could not discuss the matter with us.

On Friday, December 5, he was taken to court for a hearing and later returned to prison.

A legal team worked to secure his release on bail while the case was ongoing. That was when another hearing was scheduled for December 8. He was released on bail conditions.

What happened during the bail proceedings?

When we got there, his case was not listed because they did not want him released. I think the barrister spoke to the judge on his behalf, and while he was there, the judge eventually ordered that he should be released.

That was after his time in prison in December. Since then, they said there would be further hearings. He was fitted with an electronic monitoring device. He was tagged and required to sign in regularly. He complied throughout the period he was on bail.

Was your son given a fair trial?

No. It was the most unjust and ridiculous hearing I have ever witnessed. It was a two-week trial. It started on June 8 and ended on June 19.

Meanwhile, the victims who appeared in court gave inconsistent accounts. They were not straightforward. One said he was there but did nothing and was only watching. Another said he was not there at all. Out of the six witnesses, three said he was there, while the other three said he was not.

They were making assumptions, saying they thought he was with the offender. They did not see him doing anything. They said he was telling the attacker to stop attacking people, so they assumed he was with him. They believed he was pretending.

They alleged that a particular individual, Ayomide Ibrahim, attacked them, seized their jackets and put them in his bag. The CCTV footage showed Ayomide Ibrahim entering the premises with the bag and leaving with it.

Was anyone else allegedly involved in the incident?

There was another individual known as Tekz. The CCTV footage showed Tekz leaving the premises with those jackets. Tekz was not arrested. What the police said was that he declined their invitation.

The barrister was surprised and asked how six people could be overpowered by one person. Their response was that Ayomide had barricaded the entrance, preventing them from escaping. The same Ayomide was later discharged and acquitted.

All these people were associates. Remember, my son was not there. He was outside. They were trying to drag him into it.

If they were judging based on association, then all those people should have been arrested and prosecuted. How much more when my son was not linked to the incident? Furthermore, money was traced to the accounts of people who were discharged and acquitted, while no money was linked to my son’s account.

Had your family experienced racism before this incident?

Yes. Not only him, but me as well. There was a time I was racially abused, and the matter ended up in court, where I was awarded £2,000 in compensation. A white man randomly attacked and injured me.

Apart from me, my son was also racially abused and falsely accused, leading the police to raid our apartment.

Why do you believe your son’s conviction is unjust?

I want my son released from prison. As a mother, it is traumatic and depressing to watch my son suffer for crimes he did not commit.

He was not accused of robbery alone. At the time my son was making a phone call, the offender allegedly pointed a gun at the victim. My son was not there.

The offender was prosecuted for possessing a weapon, yet my son, who had no weapon on him, is also facing allegations connected to that offence. These are serious allegations that could make him spend most of his life in prison.

What are your demands from the British authorities ahead of the sentencing on July 27?

My plea to all institutions is to help raise awareness that an innocent young man has been wrongly convicted and should be freed. All the CCTV evidence should be reviewed. The alleged attackers identified during the case were not arrested, yet my son, who was not identified by some witnesses, was arrested and accused. My son is innocent. (Saturday PUNCH)

Update news