Naira Abuse: Bobrisky’s release date announced

The release date of controversial cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, who was sentenced to six months imprisonment, has been revealed.

Premium Times reported in April that Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Lagos sentenced Bobrisky for misusing the naira.

The judge sentenced the cross-dresser without imposing a fine, saying his sentence would serve as a lesson to others who misuse naira.

His jail term began on March 24, which corresponds to the day of his arrest.

Punch Newspaper in its report on Wednesday said a reliable prison source and Bobrisky’s lawyer, Ayo Olumofin, confirmed his imminent release from the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.

“Bobrisky will be released on Monday, August 5,” Punch quoted a prison source as saying.

Also, the paper reported that Mr Olumofin, who appeared for Bobrisky in court, said, “Yes, it is time for him to be released. Nothing much will be done during his release. I may not go. I am working outside Lagos. Other lawyers may go. As I told you, I am not his original lawyer. I just spoke for him.”

Lagos NCS Speaks

In a telephone interview with this newspaper on Wednesday evening, Rotimi Oladokun, spokesman for the Lagos Command, said, Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) said it could not confirm the cross-dresser's imminent release.

Mr Oladokun said the policy of the Correctional Service prohibits disclosure of the release date of any inmate.

He said: “For confidentiality reasons I cannot confirm what you are seeing in the report. We have confidentiality with regards to the detention of individuals, so I cannot confirm or deny it. So you can call the national PRO to confirm it. I am responding to you, but it is your right to ask. If I have the contact of the national PRO I will send it to you, but as the spokesperson for Lagos State, for reasons I have told you, I cannot confirm or deny the release date of any prisoner.

“This is privileged information for the inmate and his family. It is not because it is the particular inmate you mentioned, it is just the general policy. So, if he has invited his family or members who want to have a party for him, it is left to him, if and when he is released, it is a different matter. So, on behalf of the service, we cannot comment on it. That is all.”

Request

This newspaper reported on April 22 that Bobrisky has filed a notice of appeal challenging the six-month sentence imposed on him by a Federal High Court, Lagos.

The crossdresser in his appeal filed through his lawyer, Bimbo Kusanu, prayed the court to quash the sentence and substitute it with a fine of 50,000 Nigerian Naira for each offence.

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Bobrisky’s lawyer said in the appeal notice that the trial court imposed the sentence on his client even though there was no previous criminal case registered against him.

He said the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) provides for lesser punishment.

background

On April 5, the crossdresser was prosecuted and convicted by the EFCC on six counts of money laundering and other related offences.

However, during the hearing, Justice Awogboro dismissed cases five and six relating to money laundering and left cases one to four.

Bobrisky’s case was similar to that of actress, Oluwadarasimi Omoseyan, who was convicted for spraying and trampling on new naira notes at a wedding ceremony in Lagos.

A video clip showing Ms Omoseyan sprinkling new naira notes at a Lekki wedding on 28 January 2023 went viral, leading to her arrest on 1 February 2023.

On February 2, Judge Chukwujekwu Aneke sentenced Ms Omoseyan to six months in prison or a fine of 300,000 Nigerian Naira.