The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested Usman Mohammed, a resident of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Lugbe, Abuja, over allegations of rape, sexual assault, cyberbullying and threats against women, following an investigation initiated after a complaint was lodged at Lugbe Police Station on Friday, 6 November 2026.

The arrest, announced by FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, has raised fresh concerns about the alleged exploitation of financially vulnerable women through abusive debt recovery practices.

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According to the police, Mohammed allegedly targeted several women, including widows and other vulnerable individuals, using outstanding loans as justification for intimidation, physical assaults and sexual exploitation.

Adeh said the police received a report at approximately 7.05 pm on 6 November, alleging that the suspect had subjected several women to threats and various forms of abuse over debts they owed him.

Following the complaint, officers attached to the Lugbe Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, launched an operation to locate and apprehend him.

Investigators subsequently traced Mohammed to the Federal Housing Authority area of Lugbe, where officers attempted to arrest him.

However, the suspect allegedly tried to escape after noticing the approaching officers, speeding away in his vehicle.

The officers pursued him and eventually intercepted the vehicle before he could reach the expressway, bringing the attempted escape to an end.

Police investigations have since focused on allegations that Mohammed used informal lending arrangements and debt recovery demands to exert control over women who owed him money.

In the most recent allegation, the suspect reportedly lured a woman into his vehicle before driving her to an isolated location in Lugbe, where he allegedly sexually assaulted and raped her.

The police further alleged that Mohammed forced the woman to remove her clothing and recorded videos showing her intimate body parts.

He subsequently allegedly used the recordings to threaten to expose her publicly and kill her if she failed to meet his repayment demands.

The allegations point to a disturbing pattern in which financial vulnerability was allegedly exploited to facilitate sexual violence, blackmail and psychological intimidation.

The police have not publicly disclosed the number of alleged victims, the amounts involved in the lending arrangements or whether additional complaints have been formally recorded against the suspect.

Mohammed remains in police custody and is undergoing further interrogation. Adeh said he would be charged before a court after investigations have been concluded.

The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, has condemned violence against women, sexual exploitation, intimidation and cyberbullying, describing such conduct as unacceptable.

Sanusi also urged residents, particularly women and other vulnerable individuals, to report abuse, threats and blackmail rather than remain silent out of fear or embarrassment.

The Command provided two emergency telephone numbers, 08032003913 and 08061581938, for residents seeking police assistance.

The allegations also bring renewed attention to the relationship between informal lending practices, debt enforcement and the protection of individual rights in Nigeria.

In February 2026, the Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, also known as Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), warned against using the police to recover private debts.

Speaking at a workshop on gender-responsive policing, the organisation’s Acting Programme Manager, Aisha Isa Yusuf, said: “The Police Act 2020 does not empower the police to act as debt recovery agents.”

The organisation maintained that ordinary loan disagreements and contractual disputes should be resolved through lawful civil procedures rather than intimidation or the misuse of police authority.

A related judicial development came in November 2025, when the Federal High Court in Abuja declared the use of police officers to recover a private loan illegal.

The court awarded ₦2 million in damages to Helen Shalamba, who had been arrested and detained following a loan dispute involving her former partner.

Although that judgment concerned a separate dispute, it reinforces the distinction between legitimate debt recovery and criminal conduct allegedly committed in the process of collecting money.

In Mohammed’s case, the allegations go beyond a disagreement over repayment.

The reported sexual assault, threats to distribute intimate recordings and alleged death threats raise serious questions about personal safety, consent and the use of digital material to control vulnerable individuals.

For now, the allegations remain subject to police investigation and judicial determination. Mohammed has not been convicted, and the conclusion of investigations will be necessary before the matter proceeds to trial.

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The police have urged anyone experiencing similar abuse, intimidation or blackmail to seek assistance, stressing that financial obligations should never become a justification for violence or sexual exploitation.