The parents of a Nigerian student in the United Kingdom, Mr. Aderinkola Akinrinola and Mrs. Olayinka Akinrinola, have appealed to the UK government and judicial authorities to review the conviction of their son, Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola, insisting he was wrongfully found guilty of robbery and blackmail.
Oluwatobiloba was convicted on June 19, 2026, and is being held at Nottingham Prison pending his sentencing on July 27.
“Our son is innocent of the charges against him,” the parents said in a statement. They argued that the prosecution’s case was based mainly on his association with the prime suspect and CCTV footage showing him entering the venue of the party where the robbery occurred in November 2025.
According to them, “the only evidence presented in court against our son is a picture he took with the prime suspect and a CCTV camera that shows him entering the venue of the party.” They added that no stolen items were recovered from him and no money linked to the alleged robbery was traced to his bank account.
The family further claimed that victims testified during the trial that Oluwatobiloba neither participated in the robbery nor threatened anyone. “One of the victims said he was trying to help them,” they stated, adding that their son briefly entered the room where the incident occurred, questioned what was happening and left after insisting he did not want to be involved.
They also alleged that he voluntarily contacted the police after seeing a social media video linking him to the robbery but was initially told he was not a suspect.
Describing the conviction as controversial, the parents made an emotional appeal for intervention. “Please help us. We are devastated. We just want the world to hear our side of the story. Our son is about to suffer for a crime he did not commit. His life is about to be destroyed for something he did not do,” they said.
They urged the UK authorities to review the case before sentencing, expressing hope that what they described as a wrongful conviction would be overturned.
