Police recover N50m stolen from Mr Ibu, charge son, lover to court
Detectives at the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex in Alagbion, Ikoyi, Lagos, have found N50 million that was purportedly taken out of the compromised bank account of Mr. John Okafor, a popularly known as Mr. Ibu, an ailing Nollywood star.
Boakyewaa Lawrencia 
As a result, Onyebuchi Okafor, the son of Mr. Ibu, and Jasmine Okekeagwu, his lover, were also taken into custody.
They were then accused of stealing and conspiring in court.
The arrest came about as a result of a September 6, 2023, petition that Diamond Waves Law filed on behalf of Mr. Ibu's wife, Stella Maris Okafor, according to FCID spokesperson ASP Mayegun Aminat.
The suit claimed that Jasmine Okekeagwu, Daniel and Valentine Okafor, the sons of Mr. Ibu, had plotted to swindle Mr. Ibu.
She claims that an inquiry showed that Mr. Ibu started a public fundraising campaign that drew contributions from the public, entertainment industry insiders, and fans in an attempt to pay for his medical expenses.
"The money for family support and medical expenses was initially overseen by Mr. Ibu's wife, Mrs. Stella Maris Chinyere Okafor."But according to Aminat, Onyeabuchi Daniel Okafor and Jasmine Chioma Okekeagwu allegedly used Mrs. Stella Maris Okafor as a pawn, getting access to Mr. Ibu's phone and financial information.
She gave an explanation of how the two gained access to Mr. Ibu's mobile banking apps, deleted the old ones, installed a new one on Daniel Okafor's phone, and started making unauthorized transfers from the public fundraising account to Daniel Okafor's personal bank account.
Investigations also revealed that Jasmine Okekeagwu and Onyeabuchi Okafor, the two suspects, had gotten married in a sham marriage at the Ikoyi Marriage Registry with the intention of fleeing the nation and settling in the United Kingdom with their stolen money.
Prior to their detention, they had previously applied for a UK visa in order to carry out the plot.
Jasmine Chioma and Daniel Okafor's WhatsApp texts, which described their criminal schemes in detail, were also discovered during the inquiry.
The Chief Magistrates Court 1, Yaba has charged Onyeabuchi Okafor and Jasmine Okekeagwu; the case has been postponed to March 11, 2024.
Both were given bail totaling N15 million, along with two sureties in an equivalent amount.
For legal counsel, the case file has been sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
