… To Serve term in Ikoyi Correctional Centre
By John Obi
For abusing the Naira,the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday, April 12, sentenced cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly called Bobrisky, to six months in prison with no option of fine .
Justice Ambibola before the sentence asked Bobrisky about his sex and he told the court that he is a man.
Delivering her judgement, Justice Awogboro said the decision would serve as a deterrent to others who are found abusing the naira.
She subsequently handed him six months in jail term at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.
According to the judge,the jail term would commence on the day of his arrest.
Bobrisky was arrested on 24 March 2024 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),
He was arraigned by the commission on Thursday, April 5 on six counts of money laundering and abuse of naira .
The court, however, dismissed the money laundering charges but convicted him after he pleaded guilty to a -4 counts- charge of abuse of the naira, made against him by the EFCC.
The counts read: “that you, Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, on the 24th day of March 2024, at Imax Circle Mall, Jakande, Lekki, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social event tampered with the total sum of N400,000.00 (four hundred thousand naira) notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.
“That you, Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, between July and August 2023 at Aja Junction, lkorodu, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social event tampered with the sum N50, 000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.
“That you, Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, sometimes in December 2023 at White Steve Event Hall, Ikeja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social event tampered with the sum N20,000.00 (twenty thousand naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.
“That you, Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, sometimes in 2022 at Event Hall, Oniru, Victory Island, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social event tampered with the sum N20,000.00 (twenty thousand naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.”
Before his arrest and conviction, the Cross – Dresser had claimed he was a woman having gone through the process of changing his natural gender.
He was quoted to have asked for inclusion in females circle saying he was part of the sisterhood”
At a recent event in Lagos,the social media influencer was rated the best dressed female which was seen as a deliberate attempt to undermine Womanhood
However, reactions have trailed the judgement by some members of the legal profession.
A lawyer who preferred unnamed told current matters in Port Harcourt that although the cross – dresser faulted in the abuse of the naira, the court should have handed him a lighter sentence since he was a first offender.
He however, noted that it was “unethical for Bobrisky to claim to be a woman all this while when he is actually a man.”
For John Ndukwe,a teacher, ” it is a lesson for the cross -dresser to rethink his life and do something morally right.
Another reactor, Celina, a student said ” it serves him right. No one can mock God ” With this judgement Bobrisky is finished. She said in relation to his previous claim of being a woman.
