Lagos State Police Command has said that Chibuike Azubike, a 65-year-old man arrested for parading himself as the “Obi of Lagos,” confessed that his planned installation and palace unveiling were fraudulent schemes to extort unsuspecting participants.
Mr Azubike was arrested on Wednesday alongside three alleged accomplices while preparing for an unlawful ceremony in Amuwo Odofin.
According to the police, the group had scheduled the launch of a prototype for a proposed N1.5 billion “Palace of Obi of Lagos State” for Saturday, September 13, at Apple Hall, Amuwo Odofin.
In a statement on Thursday, the command’s deputy public relations officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, said the suspect admitted during interrogation that he was not an engineer as earlier claimed, but only a supplier of construction materials.
“Further findings showed that the planned unveiling of the ‘Obi of Lagos Palace’ was fraudulently designed as a ploy to swindle unsuspecting personalities and Nigerians of their hard-earned money,” Mr Oluseyi said.
The police confirmed that Azubike acted alone without the recognition of any legitimate chieftaincy authority.
He and his alleged accomplices remain in custody and will be prosecuted at the end of investigations.
Commissioner of police, Olohundare Jimoh, urged residents to be wary of fraudulent activities and not to fall victim to schemes of that nature.
The arrest has drawn mixed reactions on social media, with some questioning its legitimacy and others maintaining that assuming a traditional title without authorisation is illegal.
A similar case occurred in April 2023 when the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, Frederick Nwajagu, was arrested for allegedly parading himself unlawfully as a titled chief in Lagos.
