Tobias "Okie" Okyere, portrayed by former
Casualty actor
Aayan Ibikunle Shoderu, first appeared in Episode 7149, which originally aired on 9 July 2025. He first arrives as a drug dealer enlisted by
Ravi Gulati (
Aaron Thiara) to do a job to help gain quick money after being financially ruined. It was also revealed that Kojo, an
autistic man, was made vulnerable to the
cuckooing process, which is the practice of using a person's dwelling, usually one who is vulnerable, for illegal activities. Executive producer
Ben Wadey spoke about the storyline: "At
EastEnders, we're proud to tell stories that reflect the real challenges people face, and Kojo's cuckooing storyline is one that feels especially important." He continued: "Cuckooing is a form of exploitation that too often goes unseen and hasn't featured on
EastEnders before. Through Kojo's experience we hope to have shined a light on how easily vulnerable people can be manipulated and isolated – something that can happen in any community, but feels particularly resonant in a city like London, where people live side by side and yet can still slip through the cracks. Working closely with experts and charities, our aim has been to tell this story with care and authenticity, and to raise awareness as to how to identify the signs of exploitation and the importance of reaching out for help." To portray the cuckooing storyline,
EastEnders has worked with Causeway, a modern slavery charity, and the
National Autistic Society as well experts in the field of the cuckooing element of the storyline. Helen Ball, CEO of Causeway, spoke about the storyline: "Causeway are proud to have supported
EastEnders on this important and timely storyline. Cuckooing is a cruel and dehumanising form of exploitation where the home of someone vulnerable is taken over by criminals. We were grateful to
EastEnders for the opportunity to work with their team on the research behind this storyline and we hope that by shining a light on cuckooing,
EastEnders can help raise awareness of the issue and help people spot the signs of grooming and exploitation around them." Dr Judith Brown, Head of Evidence and Research at the National Autistic Society, also commented on working with the show's bosses to carefully and truthfully portray the story: "It's a privilege to work with the
EastEnders team on such a painful yet significant storyline about Kojo's "cuckooing" or home takeover. We thank the entire
EastEnders team for focusing on a genuine issue that impacts the lives of autistic people. The awful truth is that autistic people are more at risk of abuse, victimisation and exploitation than non-autistic people. Because autistic people can find it hard to interpret social cues, emotions and inferred meaning, some may not always recognise manipulative or dangerous behaviours from others. We hope this storyline encourages any autistic person or parent of autistic children to learn what abuse and exploitation can look like." == Fat Mike ==