Nigerian parents seek review of son’s UK robbery, blackmail conviction

By Adeola Badru

The parents of a Nigerian student, Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola, convicted by a United Kingdom court of robbery and blackmail, have appealed for a review of the case, insisting that their son was wrongly found guilty and was not involved in the offences for which he is awaiting sentencing.

Mr. Aderinkola Akinrinola and Mrs. Olayinka Akinrinola said their son was convicted on June 19, 2026, and is being held at Nottingham Prison pending his sentencing on July 27.

Addressing journalists, the couple described the conviction as a miscarriage of justice and urged the UK authorities to review the case.

“Our son is innocent of the charges against him. We believe he has been wrongfully convicted and is about to suffer for a crime he did not commit,” Mr. Akinrinola said.

According to the parents, the prosecution’s case rested largely on what they described as “guilt by association” with the principal suspect, identified as Richile Vagnu.

“The only evidence presented against our son was a photograph showing him with the prime suspect and CCTV footage of him entering the venue where the incident later occurred. There is no CCTV footage placing him at the scene of the robbery itself,” Mrs. Akinrinola said.

They explained that their son met Vagnu shortly after enrolling as a first-year student at the University of Leicester in September 2025 and that the two were merely acquaintances.

“Our son met him after resuming school. They were never close friends. They simply knew each other through campus,” his father said.

The parents maintained that although Oluwatobiloba attended the party where the robbery allegedly occurred on November 21, 2025, he neither participated in nor benefited from the crime.

“He briefly entered the room where the incident was taking place, asked what was happening, and left immediately because he did not want to be involved. That account was contained in his statement and has remained consistent throughout,” they said.

They further argued that none of the stolen property was recovered from their son despite police searches.

“The victims said jackets and footwear were stolen. None of those items was found in our son’s possession after police searched his accommodation,” they said.

The family also questioned the financial evidence presented during the investigation.

“The police said money was transferred by victims to accounts belonging to other suspects. There was no evidence whatsoever of any transfer into our son’s bank account,” they stated.

According to the parents, some prosecution witnesses testified that Oluwatobiloba did not participate in the robbery.

“Some of the victims told the court that our son was not involved. One even said he appeared to be trying to help them. We believe that evidence should have carried significant weight,” Mr. Akinrinola said.

They also alleged that individuals whom victims reportedly identified as playing more direct roles in the incident were not prosecuted.

“We do not understand why our son has been convicted while other individuals whom victims allegedly identified have not faced the same legal consequences. We believe this raises serious questions that deserve answers,” the couple said.

The parents further disclosed that shortly after the incident, their son voluntarily contacted the police after seeing a social media video suggesting he was among the attackers.

“When he saw a misleading TikTok video linking him to the robbery, he contacted the police himself and offered to come in for questioning because he knew he was innocent. According to him, he was told at the time that he was not a suspect,” Mrs. Akinrinola said.

Describing their son as calm, sociable and law-abiding, the parents said he had no previous criminal record and had never before been linked to any criminal activity.

“He is a young man with a promising future. We fear his life is about to be permanently damaged because of a conviction we believe is unjust,” his father said.

The family appealed to the Nigerian Government, the Nigerian community in the United Kingdom, human rights organisations and legal advocacy groups to support efforts to seek a review of the case.

“We are devastated as parents. We are simply asking that the world hears our side of the story and that the UK authorities carefully review all the evidence. We are seeking justice for our son,” they said.

Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola was found guilty of robbery and blackmail by a UK court on June 19, 2026, and remains in custody at Nottingham Prison pending sentencing on July 27.

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