Nigeria’s controversial crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, on Friday told the Federal High Court in Lagos State that he is a man.
He admitted this as Justice Abimbola Awogboro jailed him for six months without option of a fine for abuse of the naira.
Before he was sentenced, Justice Awogboro asked about Bobrisky’s gender, with the crossdresser replying he is a man.
Judge: “Are you a man or a woman?”
Bobrisky: “I am a man.”
Bobrisky was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The court convicted him on April 5, 2024 following his guilty plea, but reserved sentence until April 9, 2024.
The court ordered Okuneye to be kept in the custody of the EFCC pending sentencing.
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However, due to the Federal Government’s declaration of April 9, 10 and 11 as public holiday, the case could not proceed as scheduled.
On Friday, Justice Awogboro sentenced the convict without an option of fine.
The judge held that the imprisonment would take effect from the date of the crossdresser’s arrest.
Bobrisky was taken away by EFCC operatives immediately after his sentencing.
The EFCC had on April 4, 2024 filed a six-count charge against him.
The charge bordered on Naira mutilation and money laundering.
He was consequently arraigned on April 5 and he pleaded guilty to the first four counts.
The court struck out the last two counts following an application by the EFCC.
On April 5, 2024, Bolaji Temitope, a prosecution witness and Assistant Superintendent of EFCC, gave evidence before the court and narrated the circumstances surrounding prosecution of Bobrisky.
After a review of the facts of the case, the EFCC counsel, Suleiman Suleiman, prayed the court to convict the crossdresser.
According to the EFCC, he committed the offences on March 24, 2024 at Circle Mall, Jakande, Lekki, Lagos State.
The commission stated that he tampered with a cumulative sum of N400,000 while dancing during a social event by spraying the same.
Okuneye also sprayed various tranches of money such as N20,000 and N50,000 at various events in 2022 and 2023, according to the EFCC.
The offences contravene Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act of 2007 and Section 19 of Money Laundering Act of 2022.