Osun Lawmaker in Ritual Bath Video was Victim of Blackmail Syndicate that Duped him N40M – Police

Segun Atanda/

An Osun State lawmaker, Timothy Owoeye, who was reportedly caught bathing in the market square for ritual, was a victim of a syndicate which had been blackmailing him for a long time.

The syndicate had reportedly duped him N40 million before he summoned the courage to report the matter to the police.

NewsmakersNG learnt that police had arrested some suspects from whom they recovered N10 million of the hush money.

A viral video of the incident in which the lawmaker is seen naked emerged on Friday.

The video showed him being beaten by some men who purportedly caught him taking a midnight ritual shower in a market.

But police told PREMIUM TIMES today in Osogbo that Owoeye, representing Ilesa West for the All Progressives Congress, was actually a victim of a high-wire blackmail racket that had seen him part with the humongous amount of his personal wealth in a desperate bid to save not only his own career but family image.

According to the online medium, Osun State commissioner of police, Mr Fimihan Adeoye, said: “The fellow is a victim of some fraudsters who duped him some amount of money. They tricked him to that place and did that to blackmail him so that he will not be able to lodge complaint in the public.”

The report said Owoeye’s misery began about six months ago when he agreed to have a midnight shower in a market as recommended by herbalists he had been consulting for traditional prayers. The location is rumoured to be Osun-Jela, described as a lull community between Osogbo, the state capital, and Ilesa.

But as he undressed and started having his shower, some persons — whom the police suspect had been lurking in the dark — emerged from the nearby bush, turned on lights and focused cameras on the lawmaker.

Sources close to Owoeye told the online medium that persons were arranged by the fraudsters who had been parading themselves to the lawmaker as herbalists working to help enhance his fortunes through traditional means.

The syndicate promised not to circulate the video if Owoeye complied with their demands for cash. He paid the initial cash to the crooks, which subsequently opened a cascade of regular financial flows to their pockets.

At some point during the blackmail, about three months ago, Mr Owoeye wanted to sell a filling station he owned after running out of liquid cash to keep covering his so-called scandal.

“He did not sell the filling station, but he had paid them more than N40 million before then,” the source said.

It was when Owoeye was trying to raise money by selling his filling station that an associate pressed him to disclose what his crisis was about. He was then advised to take the matter to the governor and subsequently to the police.

“We are happy that he summoned the courage to complain and the police succeeded in arresting some of those fellows and they were charged to court,” Fimihan said.

“Whatever is being circulated is just a way of ensuring that he will not be able to complain,” he further said.

The commissioner said he could not immediately tell how much Mr Owoeye lost to the scheme, but the police had recovered N10 million of it already.

“I cannot say precisely now, but the police were able to recover N10 million of the funds he was swindled,” the police chief told PREMIUM TIMES.

The video in circulation was allegedly leaked by other members of the syndicate who were yet to be arrested.

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