About 48 hours after controversial crossdresser, Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, was taken to Ikoyi Correctional Centre, Lagos State, to serve his jail term, his movements in the prison premises have been shrouded in secrecy, The Point’s investigation has revealed.
The Point had reported that the Federal High Court, Lagos State, sentenced Bobrisky to six months imprisonment without an option of a fine for abusing the Nigerian naira.
The judgment was handed down to him on Friday, April 12, 2024.
In her ruling, the judge, Abimbola Awogboro, said the judgment would serve as a deterrent to others fond of abusing the naira.
After the judge sentenced him to six months imprisonment, officials of the Ikoyi Correctional Centre whisked him away to the custody to spend his jail term.
However, findings by The Point revealed that Bobrisky had yet to be seen in the premises of the custody by other inmates.
Insiders disclosed that the moment the cross dresser was brought to the facility; he was kept in a private room.
Sources said authorities and security agencies had been protecting the internet personality from mingling with other inmates.
“He is in the prison but the truth is that he has yet to be accommodated in any of the male rooms as at this time that I am talking to you. I think he is still being given preferential treatment in the room where he is kept,” a source at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre told The Point.
A stakeholder in the Nigerian Custodial Sector, who did not want to be named, explained that Bobrisky might not be that visible till he finishes his jail term.
According to him, he might enjoy the protection accorded to big personalities who were being imprisoned.
He confirmed that issues surrounding the stay of Bobrisky in Ikoyi Correctional Centre had been “classified.”
“Issues surrounding Bobrisky’s imprisonment are highly classified information as it is now. I belong to several groups with prison officials, stakeholders and security agencies and since Bobrisky’s conviction and sentencing, nothing has been said about him on his welfare in custody and this is strange. We only get this silence whenever the case has to do with big politicians, wealthy individuals or other top and influential figures.
“It might be that the guy himself (Bobrisky) chose not to move around as other inmates do whenever their cells are being opened for secondary activities such as recreational activities, fellowship or vocational training. But, I must tell you that it is the usual thing for all inmates to come out every morning for routines, prayers and other activities after which, they would return to their cells.
“An inmate has a right not to engage in other activities aside from the morning routine, so, Bobrisky may feel he doesn’t want to come out whenever other inmates are out,” the stakeholder said.
He added, “For instance, since I have been visiting the prison where Francis Atuche, a former managing director of Bank PHB, has been spending his jail term, I have never sighted my eyes on him and I do visit whenever all the inmates are out of their cells. So, you see why I say that Bobrisky might not be visible till he finishes his jail term.”
Atuche was in June 2021 convicted of N25.7 billion fraud. Following his conviction, Lateefat Okunnu, judge of an Ikeja High Court, had sentenced Atuche to six years in prison.
Recall that prison officials had said Bobrisky would be offered adequate protection from other inmates who might want to sexually violate him.
“He shouldn’t be afraid of sexual assault from other male inmates because our men can give him protection,” a spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) had said.
Meanwhile, a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who had in 2022, spent a month in jail, said Bobrisky would have a difficult experience in the custodial centre.
Effiong, who was in July 2022, sentenced to a month imprisonment by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Ekaette Obot, while defending his client, Leo Ekpenyong in a libel suit filed by former Governor Udom Emmanuel, posited that Bobrisky would have to develop mental strength and courage to be able to withstand the harsh conditions of the prison.
The ex-convict lawyer said, “Bobrisky will have a difficult experience in the Custodial Centre (prison) because he is not a freedom fighter and does not seem to me like someone that can stay in a restricted environment under harsh and excruciating conditions.
“The main key to surviving imprisonment is mental strength and courage. The prison wall only breaks those who are not driven by strong convictions.
“For a freedom fighter, it is a training ground. No true activist goes to prison and comes out weaker. They always come out stronger and bolder.
History shows this clearly. Any activist that is broken by imprisonment is a pretender.
“If you are all about the ‘soft life’ and you are the fragile type and incapable of enduring physical discomfiture, you should avoid imprisonment.
“Some of us came out stronger after our imprisonment because we have always been mentally prepared for it and due to our strong ideological disposition.
“Bobrisky will be confronted by a culture shock when he enters Ikoyi Prison and realizes that it is a different world from what he knows. After a few days, he will begin to adjust to his new world.
“Money can only ameliorate the hardship there, but it will not shield him from the daily problems and inconveniences of the prison environment.”
There was a mild drama in court on Friday before the judge gave her ruling. She asked the convict if he was a man or a woman. He promptly told the court, “I am a man, my lord.”
Bobrisky is well-known for dressing like a woman and flaunting all the bodily features of a woman.
He recently won an award for the best-dressed woman at a popular event in Lagos State.
Priding himself as “Mummy of Lagos,” he had boasted that he would conceive and bear a child.
“Issues surrounding Bobrisky’s imprisonment are highly classified information as it is now.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arrested Bobrisky and slammed him with four count-charge, to which he pleaded guilty. Hence, the prosecution immediately furnished the court with the fact of the case.
Awogboro found Bobrisky guilty as charged and jailed him for six months.
Bobrisky was seen in video spraying money on the ground at a party.
Section 21 (3) of the CBN Act 2007 (as amended) said, “For the avoidance of doubt, spraying of, dancing or matching on the naira or any note issued by the Bank during social occasions or otherwise howsoever shall constitute an abuse and defacing of the naira or such note and shall be punishable under sub-section (1) of this section.”
Similarly, Section 21(4) states that “It shall also be an offence punishable under sub-section (1) of this section for any person to hawk, sell or otherwise trade in the naira notes, coins or any other note issued by the Bank.”
Interestingly, Bobrisky is not the first celebrity to be handed a jail sentence.
Some famous Nigerian celebrities who have been convicted and sentenced to prison include, Baba Ijesha: Yoruba comic actor, Olarewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha. He was on July 14 2022, sentenced to 16 years imprisonment for sexually assaulting the 14-year-old Foster daughter of his colleague, comedienne Princess.
In May 2019, Naira Marley was arrested by men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over internet fraud.
The arrest happened a day after his hit single ‘Am I a Yahoo boy’ dropped online. He was slammed with 11-count charges.
After spending days inside Ikoyi Prison, Naira Marley was arraigned in court and granted bail for N2 million with two sureties in like sum.
Lola Margaret: In 2017, the Yoruba Nollywood actress, film producer cum director, got arrested in the USA for wired fraud.
Lola reportedly had suspicious sums of money deposited into her bank account and repeatedly withdrew the money, which attracted detectives’ attention.
Margaret was later released and deported back to Nigeria in 2018.
Moses Armstrong: The actor was arrested for allegedly raping a minor he adopted and living with his family.
He was first arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Uyo on June 17, but the case was struck out after the Magistrate, Samuel Ukoima, ruled that the matter was not properly filed.
Armstrong was also charged with rape, intimidation, conspiracy and supplying drugs or instruments to procure abortion.
He was sent to prison, but on August 11, a High court in the state granted him bail.
Uche Odoputa: In 2007, the actor and movie producer was arrested at the international airport in Lagos for ingesting 1.336kg of cocaine and sentenced to eight months in prison.
Giving reasons for his action, Uche said he was not getting any substantial movie roles, and could not afford to feed himself and his family.
