5th April, 2024
By Akin Kuponiyi
Justice Abimbola Awogboro of Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday, convicted popular Nigerian cross dresser, Idris Okuneye a.k.a. Bobrisky, on four -count charge of Naira mutilation.
The defendants was convicted after he pleaded guilty to four count charge of Naira mutilation.
The four counts he pleaded guilty to was in respect of Naira abuse, while the the remaining two count charge was in respect of money laundering.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on Thursday filed six counts charge of money laundering and abuse of Naira,against him
When the case was mentioned, the prosecuting counsel for EFCC, Barrister Suleiman Suleiman, urged the court to strike out the counts five and six regarding money laundering.
Thereafter, the presiding Judge Abimbola Awogboro struck out the two counts, thereafter the remaining four counts was read to his hearing for him to take his plea.
He pleaded guilty to the counts.
Mr Ayo Olumofin appeared for the defence
Following his plea of guilty, the prosecutor called on the investigating police officer to give a review of the case as its prosecution witness.
The witness, Mr Bolaji Temitope, an assistant superintendent of the EFCC, in a narration told the court that, during investigation, the team came about a video where the defendant was seen mutilating the Naira notes.
Consequently, the videos were downloaded and copied on a Compact Disc (CD) while a letter of invitation was sent to the him.
The defendant honoured the invitation and when he arrived the EFCC office, he was cautioned and then he volunteered a statement.He was then shown
a video where he was spraying money on an artiste called Segun Johnson adding that the defendant confessed and admitted that he was the person in the video.
He was also shown a video of him at Circle Mall Lekki, where he sprayed a total sum of N400,000 at a movie premier, adding that the defendant again admitted same.
He was also shown two videos of him spraying money at Ajah and Ikorodu junction in Lagos, he also admitted same.
Thereafter the prosecutor showed the witness the Compact Disk containing the videos as well as statement of the defendant and certificate of identification.
The witness confirmed the video to the court, and there was no objection from the defence counsel
The compact disk containing the videos were admitted and marked exhibit A, B1 and B2.buy the court.
The prosecutor, then urged the court to convict the defendant as charged based on the case as presented by the EFCC.
The court consequently, found the defendant guilty of the offence as charged and accordingly convicted him.
In his plea for mercy, the Bobrisky told the court that he is a social media influencer with about five million followers.
Bobrisky said: “In all honesty, I was not aware of the law; my lord, I wish I can be given a second chance to use my platform to educate my followers about spraying the naira
“I will do a video on my page and educate those who do not know like myself, about spraying of the Naira; I regret my action,” he said
On his part, defence counsel Ayoade Olumofin applied for a non custodial sentence for the defendant, and urged the court to tamper justice with mercy.
The presiding Judge, Abimbola Awogboro, while reserving judgement till Tuesday April 9 ordered that the defendants should be remanded in the custody of EFCC
Below are the charges filed before the court.
COUNT 1
That you, OKUNEYE IDRIS OLANREWAJU, on the 24th day of March,2024,at Almax 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.
COUNT2
That you, OKUNEYE IDRIS OLANREWAJU, between July and August,2023 at Ala Junction, Ikorodu, 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.
COUNT 3
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.
COUNT 4
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.
COUNT 5
That you OKUNEYE IDRIS OLANREWAJU trading under the name and style of BOB EXPRESS, between 1st September, 2021 to 4th April, 2024 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to submit to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering a declaration of your activities of the said company within which period the total sum of N127,780,877.98 (One Hundred Twenty Seven Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Seventy Seven Naira, Ninety Eight Kobo) was paid into the company’s account number 2830002929, domiciled in Eco Bank Plc., and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 6(1)(a),19(1)(f) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under section 19 (2)(b)of the same Act.
COUNT 6
That you, OKUNEYE IDRIS OLANREWAJU trading under the name and style of BOB EXPRESS between 1st September, 2021 to 4th April, 2024 In Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to submit to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering a declaration of your activities of the said company within which period the total sum of N53,000,000.00 (Fifty Three Million Naira) was paid into the company’s account number 2830016041, domiciled in Eco Bank Plc. and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 6(1)(a),19(1)(f) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition)Act,2022 and punishable under section 19 (2)(b) of the same Act.