Billionaire Rasaq Okoya’s son deletes post, apologises to police over naira abuse
Billionaire Rasaq Okoya’s son, Subomi Raheem, has apologised to Nigerians hours after the police arrested an orderly who was carrying stacks of new N1000 notes at his behest while he and his friend danced and sprayed the notes in a now-deleted video.
Mr Okoya said his actions were “naïve” and he did not intend to stir trouble when he posted the video.
He begged Nigerians to forgive him, stressing that he did not fully understand the repercussions of his actions.
“To the Nigerian people, my actions were not to cause any trouble or harm,” Mr Okoya wrote on his X account around 8:24 a.m. Friday. “My intentions were pure and naive. I ask for your forgiveness and support in this situation as I had no intention to raise such an alarm. I wasn’t fully aware of the consequences of my action. @PoliceNG.”
The apology comes on the heels of police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi’s announcement that the orderly carrying the notes had been arrested and detained to face disciplinary action.
“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,” Mr Adejobi said minutes after midnight on Friday.
Mr Adejobi’s statement stirred collective outrage across social media as Nigerians questioned why the orderly was arrested while the billionaire’s son was left to walk free.
Many accused the police of bias and selective justice, asserting security officers only enforced the laws on ordinary citizens and turned a blind eye to high-profile citizens who violate the law and brazenly post it on social media without fear of prosecution.
For the same naira abuse offence, crossdresser Idris ‘Bobrisky’ Okuneye languished in prison for six months in April 2024. Justice Abimbola Awogboro did not leave him an option of a fine.
EFCC led prosecution against Mr Okuneye but spokesperson Dele Oyewale did not return a request for comment on whether the billionaire’s son would also be arrested.
If Mr Okoya is allowed to walk free, it will lend credence to accusations of bias and selective justice levelled against security agencies.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Heading 4
UK women, partners to get two weeks’ bereavement leave after miscarriage from next year
“From April, women and their partners will be entitled to two weeks off after any pregnancy loss,” Mr Burnham said.
Africa
Climate Change: 32 million West Africans may become refugees by 2050, says ECOWAS
ECOWAS says 32 million West Africans risk being displaced from their communities due to climate change.
States
Navy recovers 182,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil in Rivers
The Nigerian Navy recovered 182,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil in Rivers.
Economy
Edible oil tanker drivers suspend planned strike
NUEOTDN President Ilias Aperun said the decision followed interventions by the federal government and the State Security Service (SSS).
States
Lagos APC governorship candidate Hamzat rallies voters for 2027
Mr Hamzat expressed concern about declining voter participation, noting that of the 6.2 million registered voters in Lagos in the last election, only about 1.2 million voted.
Economy
NMDPRA begins consultations on anti-competition regulations in petroleum sector
The proposed regulations are designed to address abuse of dominance and promote fair, non-discriminatory access to essential petroleum infrastructure.
