Robbery conviction: Nigerian student's parents seek UK court verdict review

The parents of a Nigerian student convicted of robbery and blackmail in the United Kingdom are urging authorities to review the verdict, maintaining their son's innocence. Olayinka and Aderinkola Akinrinola stated that their son, Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola, was wrongly convicted by a UK court on June 19, 2026, and is currently imprisoned pending sentencing on July 27.

“

Our son was present at the party where the incident took place, but he was never involved in the robbery.

The distraught parents argue that the conviction is based primarily on circumstantial evidence and Oluwatobiloba's acquaintance with the principal suspect, Richile Vagnu. They explained that their son met Vagnu shortly after starting his studies at Leicester University in September 2025, describing their relationship as casual rather than close.

According to the parents, their son was present at a party where the incident occurred but was not involved in the robbery itself. They cited testimony from some victims who reportedly stated that Oluwatobiloba was not among the robbers. The parents claim he briefly entered the room, inquired about the situation, and left, explicitly stating he did not wish to be involved.

“

Our son was present at the party where the incident took place, but he was never involved in the robbery. Some of the victims testified in court that Oluwatobiloba was not among those who robbed them and that he only briefly entered the room where the incident occurred, asked what was happening and left after making it clear that he did not want to be involved.

Further supporting their claims, the parents noted that investigators found evidence of money transfers from victims to accounts linked to other suspects, but no such transactions were found in their son's bank records. They also alleged that CCTV footage presented in court did not place Oluwatobiloba at the scene of the robbery, only showing his arrival at the party. The family also pointed out that the police were unable to produce some suspects in court who allegedly failed to respond to invitations.

“

Investigators found evidence of money transfers made by victims to accounts linked to other suspects, but found no such transactions in their son’s bank records.

Adding to their defense, the family mentioned that one victim testified Oluwatobiloba appeared to be trying to assist those affected, rather than participating in the crime. They also revealed that their son voluntarily contacted the police after seeing a social media video allegedly linking him to the attack, and was informed at the time that he was not considered a suspect. The parents described their son as a calm, sociable individual with no prior criminal record and appealed to UK authorities, legal institutions, and human rights organizations to re-examine the case and ensure justice is served.

“

CCTV footage presented during the trial did not place their son at the scene of the alleged robbery, apart from showing him arriving at the party.