The Nigeria Police has taken into custody a police officer who was featured in a widely circulated video depicting the mishandling of currency.
The incident involved the sons of the owner of Eleganza and billionaire, Razaq Okoya
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), following the incident said it has identified and detained the police officer in the viral video of Wahab and Raheem Okoya, the sons of Razaq Okoya.
Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi disclosed this in an X post early Friday morning.
Adejobi said, “The policeman captured in the recent viral video shared by the sons of the Lagos businessman, Chief Okoya, where they were abusing the naira, has been identified and detained for disciplinary action.
“The involvement of the policeman has been condemned, as it’s unethical.
“We will always strive hard to uphold the sanctity, credibility, and core values of the police.”
In the video, Wahab and Okoya were seen spraying naira notes and had the police operative, who has now been detained, hold stacks of the Nigerian currency.
Spraying naira notes is considered an offence according to Section 21(3) of the Central Bank of Nigeria 2007.
Popular socialite and cross-dresser, Okuneye Idris, otherwise known as Bobrisky, was arrested and imprisoned in a custodial centre for this offence in 2024.
Following this statement, X users are knocking the NPF for detaining the police officer and exonerating the sons of the billionaire business mogul.
Many are demanding that the same treatment be meted out to the Okoya’s sons, who were seen spraying naira notes in the video and are asking if they are above the law.
One user wrote, “As usual the boys are the offspring of the rich and powerful, the police are their tool. They have arrested and condemned the poorly trained/poorly paid police man while the spoiled/untrained children of the rich are protected.”
Another said, “The people abusing the naira are not punished, it’s the policeman that actually has no power over them at that instant that is getting punished?”@ExquisiteDemola said, “What about the Okoya sons that committed the offence? A poor person is in trouble in this country.”
@Jojo_Amandy said, “As always, na soft helpless target. U no carry who chop soup, na who carry plate u go carry. U no even rate us sef…Just free that police guy.”
@Ugochukwu_96 asked, “What now happens to the main person praying the money? Or are they above the law?”
@Chichet_ said, “In this life, have money or you go suffer. The people abusing the money are not punished but the police man standing on his own was punished.”
Meanwhile, it is unclear if the primary suspect has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC
