Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Lagos convicted popular Nigerian cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, also known as “Bobrisky,” of currency abuse. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Bobrisky with six counts of abuse and money laundering. The court convicted the defendant after he pleaded guilty.
The court postponed sentencing until April 9 and ordered Bobrisky to remain in EFCC custody until then. The prosecutor, Suleiman Suleiman, informed the court that the defendant agreed to plead guilty to the charges after discussions. Counts five and six were struck out, leaving counts one to four.
During the trial, the investigating police officer, Bolaji Temitope, testified that videos were found showing Bobrisky mutilating Naira notes. The defendant admitted to the actions in the videos during the investigation. The prosecutor presented evidence, including videos and a statement from Bobrisky, which were admitted as exhibits by the court.
The prosecutor urged the court to convict Bobrisky based on the evidence presented by the EFCC. The court found the defendant guilty as charged. In a plea for mercy, Bobrisky, a social media influencer with five million followers, expressed regret for his actions and requested a second chance to educate his followers about the legal implications of currency abuse.
The defense counsel requested a non-custodial sentence for Bobrisky. The judge reserved judgment until April 9 and ordered Bobrisky to remain in EFCC custody. Bobrisky was arrested by the EFCC on Thursday in connection with the offense, which took place at Circle Mall, Jakande in the Lekki area of Lagos.
The EFCC alleged that Bobrisky tampered with a total of N400,000 by spraying money during social events. The agency also accused Bobrisky of failing to submit declarations of his company’s activities to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering, despite receiving significant sums of money into the company’s account.
The offenses committed by Bobrisky contravene the provisions of the Central Bank Act 2007 and the Money Laundering Act 2022. The court will deliver the final judgment on April 9.
