Social media figure Idris โBobriskyโ Okuneye has filed a lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Assembly, alleging that they violated his fundamental rights.
NEW DAILY PRIME reports that the controversial crossdresser has been embroiled in controversy since social media influencer Martins โVDMโ Otse leaked an audio recording alleging that he paid the EFCC N15 million to drop money laundering charges against him.
Bobrisky claimed he served his six-month jail term in a private apartment in the recording, also alleging that Falz, a musician and his father, human rights lawyer Femi Falana, approached him for a N10 million presidential pardon.
The crossdresser, however, denied the authenticity of the recording and threatened legal action against VDM. Despite his denial, the House of Representatives launched an investigation into the alleged N15 million bribery, with hearings held by the Committees on Financial Crimes and Reformatory Institutions.
The committees summoned Bobrisky, VDM, EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyode, and Nigeria Correctional Center (NCoS) officials to testify. Bobrisky, however, failed to appear, citing health issues.
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) arrested him at the Seme border while attempting to leave the country on 21 October.
Afterwards, on November 1, he was rearrested by the EFCC at Lagosโs Murtala Muhammed International Airport after he was removed from an Amsterdam-bound KLM flight.
The 33-year-old crossdresser confirmed that he had left Nigeria to focus on his mental health and well-being on November 5.
Lawsuit against EFCC, National Assembly
On Saturday, Bobrisky shared a court filing dated 10 October on his Instagram. The document prohibited the EFCC and the National Assembly from โharassing, detaining, or declaring him wanted.โ
In the lawsuit, which listed the National Assembly as the first respondent and the EFCC as the second, Bobrisky alleged that the assembly summoned him for investigation based on an unverified WhatsApp voice call leaked by VDM.
He added that he was summoned without investigation of the audio and despite challenging the validity of the call through his counsel.
He further alleged that the assemblyโs failure to verify the authenticity of the audio caused him significant emotional trauma.
Bobriskyโs lawsuit partly reads: โThe sole reason for the invitation of the Applicant by the 1st respondent was a hearsay WhatsApp phone call published by one Martins Vincent Otse (a.k.a Verydarkman), which the Applicant has challenged the authenticity of through his counselโs letter dated 27 September 2024.
โThe 1st respondent failed first to investigate the authenticity of the defamatory recording published willfully by the said Martins Vincent Otse (a.k.a VeryDarkMan) but went ahead to invite the Applicant via social media reports, causing the Applicant a psychological and physical trauma over a defamatory publication used as a tool of blackmail by the mischievous Martins Vincent Otse (aka Verydarkman) and violating the right of privacy of the Applicant.โ
According to him, the assemblyโs invitation not only caused him trauma but also violated his rights, subjected him to ridicule, and exposed him to threats from unknown individuals.
โThe invitation by the 1st respondent caused a lot of violation of the Applicantโs rights; he was ridiculed on social media, threatened by persons unknown, scared to move about, his dignity was bruised, his privacy was invaded, his right to fair hearing was violated.
โThe 1st respondent refused the Applicantโs right to counsel and to examine witnesses called on the 30 days of September 2024, stating in total ignorance that persons invited to such panel are not entitled to be represented by counsel of choice, which is totally against the provision of Article 7 (c) of the African Charter on Human and Peoplesโ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap.A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria the right to defence, including the right to be defended by counsel! of choice; also Section 36 (6) (c) and (d) of Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).โ
N1.2 billion lawsuit
In the lawsuit, the crossdresser sued the EFCC, seeking N200 million for โpsychotic traumaโ, and demanded N1 billion from the National Assembly for the โviolation of his right to a fair hearing.โ
In the lawsuitโs accompanying caption, Bobrisky alleged EFCC and other security agencies of violating human rights, emphasising that it is time for the world and the international community to recognise their consistent disregard for freedom and rights.
He also alleged that his arrest at the Seme border was ordered by the Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, which, according to him, aggravated his health conditions.
โNotwithstanding the earlier filing of this fundamental rights matter, the EFCC still violently assaulted and harassed me and pulled me out of a plane set to take off.
โWithout any order of the court, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigeria Police to arrest and detain me, which led to my worsening illnesses, then again the EFCC arrested and took me from their Lagos office to Abuja, notwithstanding the pendency of this suit. It is a shame that the EFCC does not respect the court or any security agencies that act above the law, which they claim to protect and implement.โ
Leaked audio
Also, Bobrisky, in a now-deleted Instagram post, denied the allegation made in a leaked audio by VDM, claiming he borrowed N4 million to complete payments to the anti-graft agency and NCoS.
He clarified that the individual in the phone conversation, whom he identified as Bintin, did not lend him N4 million but gifted it to him due to the nature of their relationship.
The crossdresser further alleged that Bintinโs claim of lending him N4 million stemmed from his refusal to date him.
He said: โEverything Iโm going to type here this evening is nothing but the truth. Iโm nice, but people take advantage of me because they know many dislike me for how I choose to live my life. I met this man called Bintin in America in 2017. Google โBobrisky in America,โ and youโll find a few clips online. He was the first person to host me in New York, America. He paid me $3,000 then for a meet and greet. Since he collected my number, weโve been chatting on WhatsApp.
โIโve lost that phone, or I would have shown you our chat. Fast forward to 2022, Bintin started asking me out. He said his wife had left him after noticing he liked me. I told myself, โI canโt date this one because he canโt handle my bills.โ But I started billing him to see if he was strong enough to pay. Last year, he came to Nigeria, but I refused to see him because he sent me his location and asked me to meet him. He got angry and stopped talking to me.โ
The crossdresser revealed that before Bintin gave him N4 million during his jail term at Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos, he had promoted several of Bintinโs events as an influencer without charging a dime.
He added that Bintin started telling people he loaned him money after he declined to see him.
The influencer said, โI changed my number at some point because he was always disturbing me about a relationship. This guy only wanted to give me money whenever he wanted me to come to him. He didnโt give me a penny for all the posts I did for him. I did all the posts because I love influencing and making peopleโs brands happy.
”In 2023, he returned to Nigeria and said he had a business deal for me. Who wouldnโt rush to make money after hearing about a business deal? I met him in Lekki Phase 1, and the moment he saw me, he grabbed and kissed me.
โI got upset and asked, โWhy would you kiss me without my consent?โ Angrily, I left immediately. From then on, we stopped talking. Later, he heard about my arrest and reached out, asking, โBabe, do you need anything?โ I told him I did and asked for money. He sent N4 million to my brotherโs account, saying he was coming to Nigeria and wanted us to go on an all-expenses-paid holiday. I still didnโt see him when I got out because I knew what he wanted. He got angry and demanded I refund his money, claiming he had lent it to me. I was shocked but didnโt want to argue with him. He kept calling to ask for his money until he flew back to the US.โ
