A bit of a messy affair for the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to deal with following the arrest of two relations of the actor John ‘Mr Ibu’ Okafor.

The suspects, his adopted daughter Jasmine Chioma Okekeagwu and biological son, Oyeabuchi Daniel Okafor reportedly absconded with a sum of ₦55 million that was gathered from donations their father received after he sent out an SOS in October 2023 to cover treatment expenses for an undisclosed ailment.

According to a Thursday press statement issued by the Ikoyi-stationed police Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCID) in Lagos State, the pair collaborated with Mr. Ibu’s other son, Valentine Okafor. Together, they formed a quorum that had mustered sufficient confidence to hack into the bank account of their ailing dad using an app.

The police statement presented by FCID Public Relations Officer, Mayegun Amina captured an investigation trail that commenced with a petition submitted by Mr. Ibu’s wife, Stella Maris Chinyere Okafor. Statutorily, she has the legal right to take charge of her husband’s affairs while he recovered, but she appeared in the past in reports talking about her being sidelined.

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Investigation into the case established that, as part of efforts to fund his medical bills, Mr. Ibu launched a public fundraising campaign and attracted donations from his fans and members of the public.

But as soon as the donations started trickling in, Mr Ibu’s family members started to ruffle their feathers over who would take charge. The contest was mainly between Mrs Okafor and Miss Jasmine which then led to the marking of territories and the push for the right of control over the vast monies that came in.

At the time of their arrest says the police statement, they were found to have diverted N55 million and squandered an additional ₦5 million on questionable transactions.

So far, the suspects have been arraigned. A Magistrate Court in Lagos following their arraignment for conspiracy, stealing, and fraud granted bail in the sum of ₦15million with two sureties also paying the same amount.

If the suspects perfect their bail condition, they are to ready themselves for the next court date set for Monday 11 March. For the time being, the criminal investigation department said that it is awaiting a response from the Director of Public Prosecution’s office following a request for legal advice.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.