By Ahmed Dorcas
According to a petition from Okubajo’s father, the officers, identified as AP Mohammed Yusuf, AP Ojochenemi Jubrin, AP Rizama Reuben, and AP Isokpuwu John, raided Okubajo’s Lagos home, destroying security cameras, seizing phones and a laptop.
When Okubajo demanded a warrant, they reportedly assaulted and handcuffed him. He was taken to Ajah police station, where his brothers were threatened and left stranded. Okubajo managed to text his family his location, prompting his father to report the incident to Lagos police headquarters. This led the officers to move Okubajo to Abuja.
In Abuja, Okubajo was allegedly coerced into providing passwords for his devices under threat of death. The officers then reportedly planted incriminating content on his laptop and forced him to confess to fabricated charges, including gun and drug possession. He was beaten when he resisted, eventually complying due to threats to his life. They recorded a forced video confession and demanded a N1 billion ransom, which was later negotiated down to N151 million.
Okubajo’s family raised the money, which the police insisted be paid in U.S. dollars through a bureau de change in Abuja to avoid tracing. The money was hidden in a car tire outside their office. Okubajo was released after the payment, given a fake N10 million bail bond as a cover-up.
Subsequent investigations, prompted by Okubajo’s family petitioning the Inspector General of Police, implicated two friends, Luka Shedrach and Oladipo Ibrahim, in orchestrating the abduction.
Luka confessed to planning the kidnapping with Oladipo under the guise of a car sale, forcing him to identify Okubajo’s home.
He also admitted to similar past kidnappings, stating, “This is what I do for a living.”
Despite ongoing investigations, some officers remain at large, and Oladipo Ibrahim has not been found. Okubajo’s family has faced continued intimidation, forcing him to leave Nigeria.
He alleges that police officials are covering up for the criminals and has urged media, human rights organizations, and the public to demand accountability and transparency from the Nigerian Police Force.
