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.