We Couldn’t Sustain The Money Laundering Charges Against Bobrisky – EFCC

A Prosecutor with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Bilikisu Bala has come out to say that charges of money laundering dropped in the trial of Bobrisky were lawful and in compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

He recently had his say via a press statement, and Nigerians have been reacting.

According to him, EFCC just could not sustain some of the charges against the crossdresser, so they had to drop them and focus on the four counts on Naira mutilation that Bobrisky already pleaded guilty for.

Bala added that it is very laughable for anyone to attribute the decision to let him go to bribery misconduct.

His words, “We initially raised six count charges bordering on Naira Abuse and Money Laundering against Okuneye based on his confessional statement that his firm, Bob Express, was not registered with SCUML and was not rendering returns to it.

Counts 1-4 were on Naira Abuse while counts five and six were on money laundering. Okuneye’s confession that he didn’t register his firm, Bob Express with SCUML and not rendering returns to it informed the money laundering charges initially included in the six count charges.

However, when we wrote to SCUML on the status of the firm, the Unit responded that it was not a Designated Non-Financial Institution, Business and Profession, DNFIBP. We cannot lawfully sustain the charges in all sincerity. We, therefore dropped them and relied on the four counts on Naira mutilation to which Okuneye had pleaded guilty.

There is simply no basis for that. The Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, allows amendment of charges. It is a professional practice. It is laughable for anyone to attribute our decision to monetary issues. Why did we write to SCUML if we didn’t want to include the charges? We wrote to be lawfully guided and when the Unit responded that the firm had not breached any law, on what basis should we have retained the money laundering charges?”

WOW.

Bobrisky is a Nigerian internet personality and philanthropist who is known as a prominent transgender woman in Nigeria, a country with no LGBT rights. She is also known for her presence on the social media app Snapchat.

Born Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju in 1992, Bobrisky completed her secondary school education at King’s College, Lagos. She also attended graduate school at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

She became recognized by being highly controversial on social media for the ultra conservative Nigerian standards. Bobrisky was able to gather traffic to her Snapchat account when she claimed she had a lover who is assumed to be of masculine gender despite the law in Nigeria stating that same sex relationships is an offence punishable by serving 14 years in a penitentiary.

Bobrisky has a fair share of fans and has been asked by certain event planners to give speeches at their events. In 2019, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, Director General of Nigeria’s National Council for Arts and Culture, called Bobrisky “a national disgrace” and said she would be “dealt with ruthlessly” if caught on the streets.