The Police announced on Thursday that it had apprehended Onyeabuchi Okafor and Jasmine Okekeagwu, the son and adopted daughter, respectively, of John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, for their alleged involvement in embezzling N55 million in donations intended for the actor’s medical expenses.
The Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Alagbon, in Ikoyi, Lagos State, confirmed the arrest, stating that it was based on a petition from Diamond Waves Law on behalf of Mr. Ibu’s wife, Stella Okafor. The petition alleged a conspiracy between two of Mr. Ibu’s sons and his adopted daughter to defraud the actor.
According to the FCID Public Relations Officer, Mayegun Amina, the arrest also stemmed from tampering with Mr. Ibu’s phone by the accused individuals to gain access to the donated funds. The Force claimed to have recovered the stolen N55 million and stated that the culprits had been charged to court.
”They thereafter re-installed the mobile banking applications of Mr. Ibu on the phone of Onyeabuchi Daniel Okafor preparatory to the perfection of their preconceived fraudulent plans and wiped off the banking applications originally installed on Mr. Ibu’s phone, thereby taking direct and full charge of the banking activities of Mr. Ibu to the funds being donated by members of the public in support of his medicals,” she said.
Mr Ibu had solicited help on social media last year over his poor health which doctors advised his legs would be amputated.
Well-wishers heard his pleas and made money donations to the family including the Bukola Saraki Foundation which revealed in a statement that it “has fully covered the medical expenses of the renowned Nollywood actor.
