Loan Assault Case: Man Confesses to Raping and Filming Borrower After Default

Ahmed Usman, a 38‑year‑old resident of Nasarawa State, was taken into custody by the Federal Capital Territory Police Command after he admitted to raping a woman who could not meet a weekly repayment on a N600,000 loan. The confession, aired during a police parade on Wednesday, placed the “loan assault case” at the centre of a growing debate about predatory lending that preys on women in Lagos and the capital.

According to Public Relations Officer SP Josephine Adeh, Usman built a small lending operation that focused on widows, single mothers and other women who lacked access to formal bank credit. He offered sums of up to half a million naira and then demanded a weekly interest charge of N30,000 on top of the original amount. The woman involved, a nursing mother who relied on informal sales for her livelihood, missed a payment because of a slump in her business and arrived at the lender’s meeting point with only N24,000.

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Adeh recounted that Usman forced the borrower into the passenger seat of his Toyota, brandished a knife and drove her to an isolated spot behind the chief’s palace in Lugbe. There, he allegedly threatened to kill her if she failed to settle the debt, proceeded to assault her, and recorded the entire episode while she was undressed. The victim managed to gather the remaining funds, transferred the full amount to Usman, and only then reported the crime to the Lugbe Division on 5 November.

Police statements indicate that investigators traced Usman’s movements through mobile data and CCTV footage, intercepting him as he attempted to flee the area in a police officer’s vehicle. The officer, later identified as the Divisional Police Officer, was briefly taken along before Usman realised who he was travelling with, made a U‑turn and dropped the officer off, after which a short pursuit ended with his arrest.

During the public parade, Usman reiterated the loan conditions he had imposed and openly described how he compelled the woman to strip, filmed her naked, and even asked her to expose her vagina for the camera. “I video her. I asked her to take off her clothes, naked her and I video her, even ask her to open her vagina, I video her,” he told reporters. He added that after the assault he “made love to her” while the recording continued.

Usman also revealed personal details that show the human dimension of the case. He said he is married and father to six children, pleading for mercy and a chance to redeem himself. “I am very sorry to my children and my wife. Please, let me have a second chance. I will be the best father and the best citizen of this country,” he said, appealing to both the police and the public for leniency.

The episode has reignited calls from civil society groups for tighter oversight of informal lending circles that operate outside the reach of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s licensing regime. While many Nigerians still rely on such arrangements because formal banking services are often inaccessible in rural areas or among low‑income urban dwellers, critics argue that the lack of regulation leaves borrowers exposed to intimidation, exorbitant interest rates and, in extreme cases, violent enforcement.

The police investigation remains active. SP Adeh confirmed that the command is working with the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) to provide the victim with appropriate legal assistance and counselling. Authorities are also reviewing other complaints about similar loan schemes that target widows and single mothers across the Federal Capital Territory.

In the meantime, the command plans to charge Usman with sexual assault, unlawful detention, illegal recording and any other offences that may emerge from the inquiry. The forthcoming court appearance will determine the weight of his criminal liability and whether additional participants in the loan network will be identified. Police have urged anyone aware of comparable incidents to come forward, stressing a commitment to curb exploitative practices that threaten the safety and dignity of women throughout Nigeria.

The case, still in its early stages, serves as a stark reminder of the intersection between financial desperation and gender‑based violence, and it may shape future policy discussions on how to protect vulnerable borrowers from abusive lenders.