Bobrisky sues EFCC, N/Assembly, demands N1.2 billion, addresses leaked audio

Controversial crossdresser Idris ‘Bobrisky’ Okuneye has filed a lawsuit against the EFCC and the National Assembly, alleging that they violated his fundamental rights.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Bobrisky has been embroiled in controversy since social media influencer Martins ‘VDM’ Otse leaked an audio recording alleging that he paid the EFCC N15 million to drop money laundering charges against him.  

In the recording, Bobrisky alleged he served his six-month jail term in a private apartment. He also alleged that singer Falz and his father, human rights lawyer Femi Falana, approached him for an N10 million presidential pardon.  

However, the crossdresser 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.  

On 21 October, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) arrested him at the Seme border while attempting to leave the country. Later, on 1 November, this newspaper reported his rearrest by the EFCC at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport after he was removed from an Amsterdam-bound KLM flight.  

On 5 November, the 33-year-old crossdresser confirmed that he had left Nigeria to focus on his mental health and well-being.  

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 ‘harassing, detaining, or declaring him wanted.’ 

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 assembly’s failure to verify the authenticity of the audio caused him significant emotional trauma.

Bobrisky’s lawsuit partly reads: “The 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 counsel’s letter dated 27 September 2024. 

“The 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.”

The Nigerian National Assembly, Abuja.

According to him, the assembly’s invitation not only caused him trauma but also violated his rights, subjected him to ridicule, and exposed him to threats from unknown individuals.

“The invitation by the 1st respondent caused a lot of violation of the Applicant’s 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. 

“The 1st respondent refused the Applicant’s 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 Peoples’ 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).”

N1.2 billion lawsuit 

In the lawsuit, the crossdresser sued the EFCC, seeking N200 million for ‘psychotic trauma’, and demanded N1 billion from the National Assembly for the ‘violation of his right to a fair hearing.’

In the lawsuit’s 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.

“Notwithstanding 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. 

EFCC Operatives

“Without 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.”

Leaked audio 

Furthermore, 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 Bintin’s claim of lending him N4 million stemmed from his refusal to date him.

He said: “Everything I’m going to type here this evening is nothing but the truth. I’m 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 ‘Bobrisky in America,’ and you’ll 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, we’ve been chatting on WhatsApp.  

“I’ve 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, ‘I can’t date this one because he can’t handle my bills.’ 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.”

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 Bintin’s 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.

“I 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 didn’t give me a penny for all the posts I did for him. I did all the posts because I love influencing and making people’s brands happy.  In 2023, he returned to Nigeria and said he had a business deal for me. Who wouldn’t 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.  

“I got upset and asked, ‘Why would you kiss me without my consent?’ Angrily, I left immediately. From then on, we stopped talking.  Later, he heard about my arrest and reached out, asking, ‘Babe, do you need anything?’ I told him I did and asked for money. He sent N4 million to my brother’s account, saying he was coming to Nigeria and wanted us to go on an all-expenses-paid holiday. I still didn’t 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 didn’t want to argue with him. He kept calling to ask for his money until he flew back to the USA”, said Bobrisky.