Lord Of The Fake: Herbalist Arrested For Running Fake Money Making Factory In Ibadan

A con man, Ismail Adesina, who plies his trade as a native doctor while defrauding people as well as making fake currencies has been arrested by the Oyo State Police Command when the operatives stormed his hideout in a village called Ojoku in Badeku, Ona-Ara local government area of the state.

Recovered from Adesina were thousands of fake pounds, naira, euros, dollars and other foreign currencies which he produced, as well as two Toyota Camry cars with number plate AA 125 DK and AA 207 DH and a Nissan Almera lift back model with number plate AGL 882 DF.

According to the state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Katsina, the 43-year-old Adesina's hide out also served as a location where criminals hide off after being declared wanted by the police while the herbalist and his gang perpetrated series of crimes in the compound which is shielded by tall trees and thick bushes.

The CP revealed that there are two houses in the compound with at least six rooms adorned with various statues to give the impression that the place is being used as a shrine with the walls decorated with the group’s description of gods to scare victims.

Adesina was unlucky to be arrested at the scene while his accomplices managed to escape.

During interrogation, he informed the police that he was a herbalist and that he had been involved in several financial crimes under the pretext of helping victims to cure ailments and barrenness.

Adesina added that the owners of the three vehicles were canvassers who combed the town to woo customers.

Hear him:

"I am a herbalist and I inherited the skill from my father. I am also a conman. I cured diabetes, barrenness, blindness and other ailments. I have cured many people. My partner, who escaped yesterday, knows how the currencies were produced. Taju and Wasiu are my other partners. We have been here for about four years.

We collected varying sums of money from our victims but we do not kidnap people. We bought the land in the bush and built the houses. I am a native of Beyerunka in Ibadan. The names of our victims are with my partners."

The police said apart from taken money from their victims, the suspects also devised a way of gagging them by taking their nude pictures and threaten to release them if they failed to keep the secret.