Saturday, February 14 2026 - The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old man, Abidemi Emmanuel, for allegedly raping a popular content creator known as Fems Thrift and her friend.
According to the police, Emmanuel lured the victims with a
fake modelling gig in Ajao Estate on February 8.
In a video posted on her TikTok page and
seen by Saturday PUNCH, Fems said she was contacted on Instagram by a man who
claimed he had relocated from the United Kingdom to launch an international
fashion brand in Nigeria.
She alleged that the suspect offered her N140,000 for the
modelling job and requested her influence to promote the brand. On arriving at
the location with her friend, she said the suspect sexually assaulted both of
them.
The arrest follows intense public pressure on social media
after the victims’ detailed account went viral, generating thousands of shares
and demands for justice.
Confirming the arrest in response to an inquiry by our
correspondent on Friday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola
Adebisi, said the investigation was ongoing at the command’s Gender Unit.
“The suspect, Abidemi Emmanuel, 23 years, is currently in
custody while the investigation is ongoing at the Command Gender Unit. The case
is being handled in line with global best practices for sexual and gender-based
violence investigations, ensuring the protection, dignity, and welfare of the
survivors,” she said.
Adebisi added that the suspect would be charged to court
upon conclusion of the investigation.
In the video that has generated outrage on social media,
Fems narrated that she arrived at the location around 11 a.m. on February 8
with her friend.
“When we entered the apartment, the room was empty. He
claimed it was a space for content creation and that a makeup artist was on the
way but had stepped out briefly. He then told me to take a shower before the
makeup artist arrived, saying my skin was too oily for the shoot. He offered me
a robe to change into,” she said.
The spokesperson said after taking her bath and changing
into the robe, the man entered with a key under the guise of showing them how
to lock the door.
“He showed us the key and told us to lock the door to feel
safe before the videographer and other crew members arrived. Then he locked the
door, stood in a corner, and I became scared. The man, after locking the door,
brandished a knife and ordered us to undress. He tied our hands with socks and
threatened to stab us if we resisted. He sexually assaulted us multiple times
without protection,” she added.
Fems further alleged that before letting them go, the man
seized their phones, forced them to unlock private folders, and transferred
intimate photos and videos to himself via AirDrop, threatening to release the
materials online if they spoke out.
“He told us to unlock our phones and transfer all our
private photos, saying it was for his personal pleasure. He threatened me with
my internet presence, saying if I tried to speak up, he would post all my
private videos now and in the future,” she said.
The victims reportedly left the area between 2 p.m. and 3
p.m. on the same day.
Initially silenced by fear of blackmail, Fems later shared
her story to seek justice. Social media users responded with massive support,
circulating images of the alleged perpetrator and tagging police accounts
relentlessly
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