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