By Adegboyega Adeleye
Nigerian comedian Okechukwu Anthony, popularly known as Okey Bakassi, has announced a N5 million reward for information leading to the recovery of eight phones allegedly stolen during a football match in Ikoyi, Lagos.
In a video posted on Instagram on Thursday, Bakassi disclosed that the incident occurred on Wednesday evening at a pitch where he and his friends gather weekly to play football.
According to him, his group allowed a young man who approached them to join their game. He added that the man later pretended to be injured and left the pitch, allegedly carting away about eight mobile phones belonging to players.
“This evening, 15th of April 2026, where we play football every Wednesday evening in Ikoyi, a young man came to play with us. Out of our own kindness, we allowed him to join us,” he said.
“He played for a little bit and feigned injury, went to the stands to sit. While we were carried away playing football, this criminal carted away people’s phones. Took about eight handsets and disappeared.”
The comedian issued a stern warning to the alleged thief, giving him a 24-hour ultimatum to return the phones. He then called on individuals with phone-tracking expertise to assist in recovering the devices, offering a N5 million reward for useful information or intelligence.
“If you’re the one who came out this evening to play with us and you feel that the way to pay us back is to cart away phones and vanish, we will find you. It will only take time. In your best interest, you have the next 24 hours to return those phones to the security post where you took them from,” he added.
“For everyone else who knows how to track phones, contact me in my DM. There’s five million naira waiting for whoever can track any one of those phones.”
Bakassi also advised buyers of second-hand phones to diligently verify and obtain valid identification from sellers to avoid purchasing stolen devices.