Four Inspectors of the Nigeria Police Force have been accused of abducting and extorting N151.5 million from a diasporan Nigerian, Segun Okubajo.
In a petition dated May 2, 2025, to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, by Professor Yemi Oke, SAN, on behalf of the victim’s father, Mr. Okubajo Kehinde, he alleged that four police officers, namely AP Mohammed Yusuf (No. 229655), AP Ojochenemi Jubrin (No. 227141), AP Rizama Reuben (No. 318195), and AP Isokpuwu John (No. 318172), kidnapped Mr. Segun Okubajo in Lagos and took him to Abuja.
The petition added that Segun was held incommunicado, while the policemen forced his family to cough up the enormous sum under threats and duress.
“Our client’s son, Segun Okubajo, who had no criminal complaints against him from any source or by any person, was violently arrested on October 9, 2024, by the officers mentioned earlier,” the petition stated.
“The said officers invaded his apartment with heavy weapons, switched off all his CCTV cameras, seized his phones, and held him incommunicado before forcefully taking him away in leg chains and handcuffs to the Office of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force CID, Area 10, Abuja,” it added.
The petition revealed that the illegal arrest was allegedly engineered by two known police informants, Oladipo Ibrahim and Shedrach Luka, who reportedly specialise in targeting foreign-based Nigerians for extortion.
“Our client’s brief to us is that Oladipo Ibrahim and Shedrach Luka are known informants who specialise in framing perceived foreign-based Nigerians in collusion with the above-named policemen and others,” the petition alleged.
“The duo capitalised on Segun Okubajo’s visit to Nigeria to orchestrate a framed-up, imaginary allegation, without any complainant, with the sole aim of criminally extorting and depriving him of a huge sum of money.”
Following the abduction, the officers allegedly demanded N1 billion. Eventually, they settled for a “negotiated” amount of N151.5 million, which the family was forced to raise through loans and contributions from friends and cooperative societies.
“Our client informed us that upon his son’s arrest… he was later taken to Abuja where the officers initially demanded the sum of one billion naira, but ended up collecting a total sum of N151,500,000.00,” the petition noted.
“To save his son’s life, he and his family decided to raise the sum through loans from businesses, friends, associates, and cooperative societies.”
After the extortion, Okubajo reportedly fled back abroad and has since faced continued threats to his life and that of his family.
“The aforementioned police officers have resorted to acts of desperation, which include sending threatening messages to Segun Okubajo and members of his family against pursuing justice.
”They also threatened them from seeking justice through any other means or channel, in a desperate bid to cover or obliterate their criminal act.”
It was learnt that the policemen claimed that half of the money went to one retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Sylvester Abiodun Alabi.
Despite filing earlier petitions in November 2024, including one directly to the IGP, the family claims that the threats had persisted, prompting the current petition demanding a full investigation, immediate refund of the extorted sum, and disciplinary action against the officers involved.
“It is not the intention of the instant petition to make public or immediately resort to extensive litigation or drag the presidency, the international community and other local bodies… at this point,” the petition clarified.
“However, failure to comply… shall leave us with no alternative but to take further steps.”
The lawyers warned that if the IGP’s office fails to act within 14 days, the case would be escalated to local and international media, and legal action would be taken against the Presidency, Police Service Commission, Ministry of Police Affairs, and others.
The petition, supported by “documents, videos, pictures,” urges IGP Egbetokun to act swiftly and decisively.
The petition read further, „Our Demands: Given the foregoing, we therefore request that the Office of the Inspector-General of
Police should take immediate, urgent steps to: (i) Direct a thorough investigation of the allegations against the policemen mentioned earlier, as contained in this petition.
„(ii) Direct immediate refund of the sum of (N 151, 500, 000. 00) One Hundred and Fifty-One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira forcefully taken from our Client’s son, Mr. Segun Okubajo by the above named policemen not later than fourteen (14) days from the service and receipt of this petition. (iii) Take Such Further or other (immediate or future) measures or steps, including by extracting appropriate undertakings from the above-named policemen against continuous or further threats of any sort, in whatever way or manner, against our Client, his son and/or other members of his entire family. (iv) Cause Appropriate Disciplinary Action.
„Action to be taken against the above name policemen by the relevant unit or institution(s) of the Nigerian Police in the way or manner deemed appropriate within the confines of the extant laws and rules of engagement of the Nigerian Police Force in line with the admirable “no-nonsense” disposition of the current Nigerian Police under IGP, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun.
