Crime
How popular musician lured, murdered two bureau-de-change operators
Police in Lagos are currently on the manhunt for one Collins Etaredafe, popularly known as Top Boy, who has gone into hiding after being linked to the killing of two-yet-to-be-identified Bureau-De-Change operators at his residence in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
The PUNCH is reporting that the musician, was with a yet-to-be-identified friend, invited the BDC operators into his apartment on March 18, the same day of the governorship and House of Assembly election, under the guise of changing some dollars, but ended up killing them and subsequently dumped their bodies in a drainage located in front of his residence.
The report, quoted a facility manager in the area, Paul Omotosho, as saying the agent in charge of the building informed him that some neighbours, upon discovering the corpses in the drainage, traced some drops of blood to the apartment of the musician.
Omotosho, who is currently in detention narrated his experience thus: “I knew Etaredafe through his girlfriend, Evelyn, about three years ago when she contacted me that he needed an apartment. That was how he got my number. He called me, said he stays in Delta State, and that he wants to book a short-let apartment. That was how he became a regular client.
“Sometimes he would claim he does not know Lagos and will send money to my account to help him get some items and send them to him. In February 2022, he said he wanted to secure an apartment where his mum would be living in Lagos; he said he wanted to surprise her with the apartment as she has not been to Lagos before.
“I had to reach out to a fellow agent who assisted me in getting the apartment. After that, the agent sent me a form to fill in the details of the occupant but when I asked for the details of his mum, he said she did not have any means of identification. Out of the trust I had for him as a regular client, I foolishly provided someone’s details to keep the place for him and since then, my thinking is that his mother had moved in.”
Omotosho, who said he was at home when the agent in charge of the singer’s apartment had been living in the place of his mother, called to inform him that he had allegedly killed the BDC operators, added further: “The agent called me that Etaredafe had killed two people in his apartment. He also said he dumped their corpses outside the gate and ran away. The agent said the blood of the deceased victims was traced to his apartment and later discovered that the people the musician killed were Bureau-De-Change operators. I was told he invited them to his apartment because he wanted to change dollars before killing them.
“In a bid to locate Etaredafe’s whereabouts, I contacted his girlfriend who said she did not know any address of his relatives. She later called me on Monday and asked if I heard that Etaredafe killed two people in his house and ran away. She said they only met on social media and she does not know where he or his family lives.”
Omotosho, who was invited for questioning, by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command, attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, has been in detention since Friday, alongside two other agents that helped him to secure the apartment.
Benjamin Hundeyin, Superintendent of Police and spokesman of the command, who confirmed the incident, was quoted in the report as saying: “The main suspects are on the run. No part of the deceased victims’ bodies was cut off. The case is at the SCID and is progressing. The security man is in custody and is assisting with the investigation.”
“The suspect offered ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere. The offer was rejected immediately and properly documented for further investigation.”
These were the exact words of Olohundare Jimoh Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), with which he detailed how operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) scoffed at a N500million bribe to turn their eyes off the importation of a huge consignment of drugs imported into the country.
This was part of the details of a major breakthrough by the operatives after bursting a major drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos, which led to the seizure of suspected illicit drugs estimated at ₦7.8 billion and arresting several suspects, including the alleged kingpin.
In the operation, reportedly carried out by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) in collaboration with divisional police detectives, the operatives, were said to have stormed a house in Mende, Maryland area of Lagos, following months of surveillance and intelligence gathering coordinated by the Zone 2 Headquarters.
The recovered drugs consisted of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud, allegedly stored in the residence of the prime suspect, Jimoh, said disclosing that the suspect was apprehended on May 19 after weeks of strategic monitoring by operatives.
Offering further details, he said the operation was executed with technical support and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, alongside coordinated efforts between the SPU and divisional police teams.
Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly attempted to bribe the SPU commander with ₦500 million to compromise the mission and allow the movement of the drug consignment.
The AIG described the development as a reflection of the renewed professionalism and operational discipline being entrenched in the Force under the current policing strategy.
He noted that the success of the operation underscored the importance of deploying specialized police units alongside conventional divisional teams in tackling organized crime.
According to him, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid containment strategies, intelligence-led policing, and professional conduct among the operatives involved in the raid.
“Rapid containment was achieved as the Special Protection Unit worked with divisional teams to secure the perimeter and prevent escape or interference with evidence.
“The operation was intelligence-driven, following months of surveillance and technical monitoring before the raid was carried out.
“The immediate rejection and documentation of the bribe attempt also reflect the standard expected from redeployed personnel at the divisional level,” Jimoh added.
Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism, saying the success of the operation validated the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun states.
The IGP noted: “Policing must be close to the people, and our specialized units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground.
“The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust.”
Disu further assured that the Force leadership would continue to reward integrity while holding officers accountable to the highest ethical standards.
Police authorities said exhibits recovered during the operation have been properly documented and will be tendered in court. The suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to track down other members of the drug trafficking network.
A completely scandalised Peter Obi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the 2023 presidential election is horrified that Nigeria has descended to the abysmal level of human degeneration where a teacher would be beheaded, recorded and video image shared freely to the public without consequences.
Obi, also former Governor of Anambra State, described the incident involving one of the teachers kidnapped last Friday during an attack on Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School all in Esiele community of Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State as “not just a security challenge but a failure of collective humanity.”
On the heels of President Bola Tinubu’s promise on Monday assuring that all victims, comprising, teachers, staff and student of the said schools, Obi, expressed dismay at the utter degeneration of the Nigerian situation.
Writing on his X, Obi, currently running for presidency on the platform of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said: “Some events shatter a society so deeply that words are no longer enough to express the shock; the brutal killing of a teacher and the horrific rape and murder of an elderly woman are among such tragedies.
“These are not isolated incidents but signs of deeper moral and social decay. How did we get here? How did we reach a point where teachers are hunted and killed, and the elderly—custodians of memory and wisdom—suffer such dehumanising violence?”
Titled ‘A Nation Losing Its HUMANITY’ late Monday, decried the incident and tagged it a sign of moral and social decay, he added: “This is more than a security crisis; it is a failure of collective humanity. We have become desensitised, consuming tragedy briefly and moving on, allowing indifference to normalise the unacceptable.
“To the families affected, I share in your grief. But grief alone is not enough. We must demand accountability and urgent systemic change. If such atrocities no longer move us to action, then we risk losing our shared humanity.”
Obi’s reaction comes after Seyi Makinde, on Sunday, confirmed the killing of one of the teachers abducted alongside other victims and pledged that the government would continue efforts to rescue the remaining abductees.
The governor, who also confirmed that seven teachers and an as-yet-unconfirmed number of pupils were abducted, said one of the abducted teachers, believed to be a Mathematics teacher, was killed by the terrorists.
He said: “What we know right now is that seven teachers were abducted. Unfortunately, we received a video this morning indicating that one of the teachers, understood to be the Mathematics teacher, was killed by the terrorists. Our prayers are with the family.”
Social media influencer and relationship therapist, Blessing Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, has been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, over an alleged N36 million fraud case.
She was docked on Friday by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and alleged theft.
According to the charge, Blessing CEO allegedly obtained N36 million from Mrs. Ifeyinwa Nonye Okoye between July 14 and 17, 2024, under the pretence of securing a six-bedroom duplex located in Lekki, Lagos, a statement on the anti-graft agency’s website said.
The prosecution alleged that the representation was false and violated provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
She was also accused of fraudulently converting the said sum for personal use, contrary to the Criminal Code Act.
Blessing CEO pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read in court.
Following her plea, the prosecution requested that she be remanded in a correctional facility pending trial, while the defence counsel said she had only just been served with the charges and was preparing a bail application.
Justice D. I. Dipeolu ordered that the defendant be remanded in EFCC custody pending the hearing of her bail application.
The case was adjourned till June 5, 2026, for trial.
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