Comedian and actor Okey Bakassi has offered a N5 million reward for information leading to the recovery of several mobile phones stolen during a football session in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening, at a pitch where the entertainer and his friends gather weekly for recreation.
According to Bakassi, the group allowed a young man who approached them to join their game. He later feigned an injury and left the pitch before allegedly making away with about eight mobile phones belonging to players.
In a video shared on his Instagram page on Wednesday, Bakassi said:“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 continued:“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 noted that the stolen devices belonged to businessmen who rely on them for their daily operations. He issued a 24-hour ultimatum for the return of the items.
“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,” he said.
To aid recovery efforts, Bakassi announced a cash prize for anyone with technical tracking skills or useful information.
“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,” he added.
The matter has been reported to the police. Bakassi also advised members of the public and second hand phone dealers to request valid identification before buying used devices to avoid purchasing stolen property.
Okey Bakassi is a veteran in the Nigerian entertainment industry. He is a graduate of Agricultural Engineering from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology and rose to prominence in the 1990s as a comedian and actor.
He has also served as a senior special assistant on entertainment to the former Governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim.
