Nigerian comedian Okey Bakassi has turned fury into action after a suspected thief crashed a private football game in Ikoyi, Lagos, and made off with multiple phones. The veteran comedian is now offering a whopping ₦5 million reward for anyone who helps track the stolen devices and bring the culprit to justice.
The shocking incident unfolded on Wednesday evening, April 15, 2026, during the group’s regular weekly football session. A young man showed up and asked to join the game. Out of goodwill, the players let him play. In a video posted on his Instagram, Bakassi recounted what happened.
“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.”
The suspect played briefly before pretending to be injured. He left the pitch and sat in the stands. While everyone else stayed focused on the match, he allegedly grabbed about eight handsets belonging to the players—mostly businessmen who rely on their phones for daily work—and vanished.
“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.”
Bakassi wasted no time issuing a stern warning directly to the thief.
“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 back to the security post where you took them from.”
The matter has already been reported to the police, and investigations are underway. To speed things up, Bakassi threw out the massive cash incentive.
“For everyone else who knows how to track phones, contact me in my DM. There’s a five million naira waiting for whoever can track any one of those phones.”
The comedian also urged anyone thinking of buying second-hand phones to be extra careful and demand proper identification from sellers to avoid ending up with stolen goods.
The betrayal has sparked widespread outrage online, with many Nigerians expressing shock that even a friendly football gathering in a secured area like Ikoyi could be targeted so brazenly.