A 40-year-old conman, Bukola Adewale, last Tuesday escaped jungle justice by a whisker when personnel of Amotekun Corps in Oyo State rescued him from irate mob who descended on him after an attempt to go away with money belonging to patients at the Adeoyo Hospital, Yemetu, Ibadan, Oyo State
The suspect, who was taken into custody by the Amotekun Corps, had reportedly approached an elderly man, Chief Wahab Aiki Aloko, and a woman, feigning sympathy for their health conditions, and volunteered to run errands for them so that they would not be stressed. That gave him two potential victims.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that that was not Adewale’s first time, as he had conned patients in the past and had escaped with their money.
The victims, on the realisation that they had been duped, were said to have burst into tears, and had to be helped by the hospital to conduct the intended medical tests freely.
This time, however, believing that no one knew him, Adewale returned and attempted to perpetrate another act.
He was said to have already taken the hospital card of the chief and was about to be given money by the woman who was with her sick child when he was noticed by a staff of the hospital.
Confirming the arrest of the suspect, the second-in-command of Amotekun Corps in Oyo command, Mr Kazeem Babalola Akinro, said: “On Tuesday April 16, we had a call from one of the senior officials of Adeoyo Hospital, Yemetu, that they apprehended a suspected criminal.
“Though the suspect initially denied committing an offence, immediately we started interrogating him, in addition to the evidences presented, he eventually confessed.
“What we learnt was that he would approach very sick patients who came to the hospital for medical attention and volunteer to help such with the processes they would need to go through to see a doctor.
“He would act as one of the hospital staff willing to help. He would collect their hospital cards and take them to the hospital pharmacy to know the cost of prescribed drugs and medical tests they would need to do.
“After that, he would go back to the weak patients and tell them of the costs. The patients, who would be relieved to have got help, would thank him profusely and hand over the money to him. However, that would be the last interaction with the patients as he would disappear with the money.
“That was what he was about to do on that day when he was sighted by a hospital staff who recognised his face and remembered what he did before he disappeared for a long time.
“During interrogation, he confessed that he collected N10,000 and N12,000 from two patients at the State Hospital, Adeoyo, Yemetu. He also confessed to collecting N40,000 from a patient at the State Hospital, Ring Road.
“He did it once in the University College Hospital (UCH) but was caught and taken to Yemetu police station. He was thereafter banned from entering the premises. He returned to the crime on Tuesday but was caught.”
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So glad he was caught
What a shame!