The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has officially withdrawn money laundering charges against popular cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, commonly known as Bobrisky.
The decision was influenced by Bobrisky’s confessional statement regarding the misuse of Naira notes.
This development emerged during an investigation led by the House of Representatives Joint Committee on the EFCC and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
“We initially raised six count charges bordering on Naira Abuse and Money Laundering against Okuneye based on his confessional statement that his firm, Bob Express, was not registered with SCUML and was not rendering returns to it. Counts 1-4 were on Naira Abuse while counts five and six were on money laundering.
“Okuneye’s confession that he didn’t register his firm, Bob Express with SCUML and not rendering returns to it informed the money laundering charges initially included in the six count charges. However, when we wrote to SCUML on the status of the firm, the Unit responded that it was not a Designated Non-Financial Institution, Business and Profession, DNFIBP.
“We cannot lawfully sustain the charges in all sincerity. We, therefore dropped them and relied on the four counts on Naira mutilation to which Okuneye had pleaded guilty”, EFCC prosecutor, Bilikisu Buhari, told the Committee.
The prosecutor also dismissed claims of financial inducement in dropping charges maintaining that no such thing happened.
“There is simply no basis for that. The Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, allows amendment of charges. It is a professional practice. It is laughable for anyone to attribute our decision to monetary issues.
“Why did we write to SCUML if we didn’t want to include the charges? We wrote to be lawfully guided and when the Unit responded that the firm had not breached any law, on what basis should we have retained the money laundering charges?,” she said.
Also, while testifying before the Legislative Committee, the NCoS, in its defense, stated that Bobrisky was not placed in the general prison population at Kirikiri Custodial Centre due to concerns for his safety.
As a transgender person with female physical features, placing him among other inmates could have put him at risk of sexual violence.
Deputy Controller of Kirikiri Correctional Centre, Michael Anugwa, said:
“We didn’t put Bobrisky inside General Cell Population because he is a Transgender and has female features.
“Though male, he has some female features. He has breasts and this is the original medical examination done by the facility’s medical doctor. The admission board had to enter a meeting to discuss on the best practices and we arrived at the decision to put him in protective custody and he spent the 10 days in our P ward room 2 of the facility.
“During admission, there is what we call classification of inmates. In his case, it was peculiar and we had to take peculiar steps.
“If we had put him in General Cell with the rest inmates, they would have killed Bobrisky overnight. Kirikiri Prison is filled with lots of hardened criminals who are convicted rapists and even many convicted for sodomy.”
Recall that the EFCC and NCoS were summoned to the committee following allegations that Bobrisky had bribed officials with N15 million to drop the charges and secure preferential treatment in custody.
Both agencies denied any financial inducements.
During the session, Bobrisky was absent due to reported health issues, though his lawyer was unable to provide supporting medical documentation.
The committee also heard from Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, who had shared an audio recording in which Bobrisky allegedly confessed to bribing officials.
