Reps to investigate Bobrisky’s N15 million bribery allegation

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the alleged payment of a N15 million bribe to EFCC officials by controversial crossdresser Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky.

The lower chamber mandated its committees on Financial Crimes and Reformatory Institutions to probe the allegation.

This resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved on Thursday by Patrick Umoh.

The Allegation

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the EFCC arrested Bobrisky on six counts of money laundering and Naira mutilation in April.

During his trial at the Federal High Court in Lagos, the judge, Abimbola Awogboro, dismissed the money laundering charges (counts five and six) but sentenced Bobrisky to six months in prison for Naira abuse.

However, a little over a month after his release, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, posted on his Instagram page Tuesday a leaked audio of the crossdresser narrating what transpired during his six-month jail term.

In the audio, Bobrisky can be heard discussing with a friend how some EFCC officials collected N15 million from him to drop the money laundering charges.

VeryDarkMan said he released the audio after Bobrisky refused to repay N4 million to one of the persons he approached for the N15 million.

On Tuesday night, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, in a statement obtained by this newspaper, ordered an immediate investigation into the bribery allegations.

Mr Olukoyede further asked Bobrisky and VeryDarkMan to make themselves available at his Lagos Directorate to assist investigators in unearthing the alleged bribery.

PREMIUM TIMES also reported that the interior minister ordered a separate investigation into Bobrisky’s allegation that he bribed prison officials so he could stay out of prison during his incarceration.

The Motion

In the motion, Mr Umoh (APC, Akwa Ibom) recounted the bribery saga to his colleagues, stating that if the allegation against the EFCC were true, it could tarnish the government’s anti-corruption efforts.

Mr Umoh said Bobrisky was also heard boasting in an audio clip about bribing prison officials.

He said he was “worried about the negative image and portrayal of Nigeria as a corrupt nation, and Nigeria’s struggle to redeem itself from such a perception.”

When the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, put the motion to a vote, the legislators voted in support of it.