EFCC Bribe Claim: Bobrisky Denies N15m Allegation

Nigeria's renowned crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, better known as Bobrisky, has denied claims that he bribed operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to remove money laundering charges levelled against him.

The bribery claims are contained in a viral voice recording released Tuesday night by social media influencer, Martins Vincent Otse, more known as VeryDarkMan.

According to Bobrisky in the said recording, the anti graft operatives collected N15m to delete initial money laundering charges in the offences that sent him to a six month jail. In the same video, Bobrisky was also said to have been lodged in a private apartment close to the Correctional facility he was supposed to have been quartered. However, while reacting to the viral allegation, Bobrisky denied the bribery allegation and also distanced himself from spending a day outside of the prison facility as indicated in the voice message he allegedly sent to an acquaintance.

“My attention has been drawn to a fake voice recording circulating on the internet that I paid EFCC 15 million naira and that I was never in prison.

“I didn’t pay any EFCC money; it is a very big lie. I served my term in full and I came out. Discard any false information," he said in an Instagram post.

It would be recalled that Bobrisky got a six month jail rap for Naira mutilation, a charge that initially included money laundering. He was initially arraigned on six charges, including Naira abuse and money laundering, amounting to about N127,780,877.98.

Curiously, the charge never featured in his trial leaving so much room for speculation until the voice recording, in which he claimed a godfather arranged for him to serve his jail term in a Lodge rather than a jail house surfaced online.

Meanwhile, the EFCC has invited both VeryDarkMan, and Bobrisky, over bribery allegations against its personnel. The development follows a directive given by the commission'chairman, Ola Olukoyede, for an immediate investigation into the matter.

According to the commission's statementreleased by Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the invitation to the duo became imperative with a view assisting investigation over the alleged bribery.

“The EFCC chairman has ordered an immediate investigation of alleged bribery allegations imputed to some officers of the Commission by Idris Okuneye (a.ka. Bobrisky) in a viral video circulating across the country.

“The EFCC wishes to assure the public that the allegations would be thoroughly investigated and the result of the findings made public accordingly. The Commission is committed to its core values of integrity, courage, professionalism and collaboration at all times," the statement said in part.