A United Kingdom-based Nigerian woman, Mrs. Olayinka Akinrinola, has alleged that a British court ignored crucial Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) evidence and convicted her son, Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola, of robbery despite what she described as overwhelming evidence pointing to his innocence.
The distraught mother, whose son is awaiting sentencing, appealed to the British authorities to review the CCTV footage and other evidence in the case, insisting that he had been wrongly convicted following what she termed an unfair trial.
Speaking in an interview, Akinrinola said her son, an undergraduate at the University of Leicester, was arrested after attending a student party in November 2025 where an alleged robbery occurred.
She maintained that her son neither participated in the alleged robbery nor possessed any weapon, arguing that he was merely present at the gathering before leaving the scene after witnessing a commotion.
According to her, CCTV footage presented during the trial showed that another suspect entered and exited the premises with a bag allegedly containing stolen items, while another individual was also seen leaving with the victims’ jackets.
She alleged that despite the footage, those identified on the recordings were either not prosecuted or were later discharged and acquitted, whereas her son was convicted.
“The CCTV evidence clearly showed who entered the premises with the bag and who left with the stolen jackets. Those people were not held responsible, yet my son, who was outside making a phone call when the alleged offence occurred, was convicted,” she said.
Akinrinola also claimed that witness testimonies during the trial were inconsistent, noting that while some witnesses placed her son at the scene, others said he was not present.
She argued that none of the witnesses identified her son as taking part in the alleged robbery, adding that the prosecution relied largely on assumptions about his association with one of the suspects.
The mother also questioned why no stolen money or incriminating evidence was traced to her son’s bank account or personal belongings, unlike some of the other individuals initially investigated.
She recounted that after the incident, a social media influencer allegedly accused her son of being a robber on TikTok, prompting him to contact the police voluntarily.
According to her, the police initially informed him that he was not a suspect and advised him not to worry about the online allegations.
However, she said he was arrested on December 3, 2025, during which his electronic devices, clothing and personal belongings were seized before he was later granted bail under strict conditions pending trial.
Describing the court proceedings as unjust, Akinrinola said the two-week trial concluded with her son’s conviction despite what she believes were glaring gaps in the prosecution’s case.
She also recalled previous experiences of racial abuse suffered by both herself and her son in the United Kingdom, although she stopped short of directly attributing the conviction to racial discrimination.
The grieving mother appealed to the British judicial authorities to review the CCTV footage and reassess the evidence before her son’s sentencing scheduled for July 27.
“My son is innocent. He was wrongly convicted for crimes he did not commit. I am pleading with the authorities to review all the CCTV evidence because it clearly shows he was not involved,” she said.
She urged human rights organisations, legal advocacy groups and members of the public to support efforts aimed at securing what she described as justice for her son, insisting that an innocent young man should not spend years in prison for offences he did not commit.
