Although he did not reveal his destination, Bobrisky, in a series of videos shared on his Instagram story on Monday morning, announced that he was travelling on a first-class ticket.

“See you soon, Nigeria. This girl bought a first-class ticket three times; that’s over 30 million. Raise the bar for this girl,” he boasted.

Bobrisky’s departure comes on the heels of a series of events that unfolded last week.

Bobrisky was stopped and removed from an Amsterdam-bound KLM flight at Murtala Muhammed International Airport while attempting to travel to London on Thursday night.

He alleged that he sustained injuries during the incident and subsequently alerted his followers on social media.

Following the altercation, he was taken to the headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja, where he reportedly faced questioning regarding claims that he had bribed officials with N15 million to dismiss money laundering charges against him.

He was later released on bail on Saturday after he reportedly denied bribing the EFCC in his confessional statement made at the commission’s headquarters.

Bobrisky’s legal troubles began in April 2024, when he was sentenced to six months in prison for naira abuse.

Although initially incarcerated at Kirikiri Prison, reports emerged that he spent only three weeks in confinement before being discreetly relocated to an undisclosed private location.

The situation escalated further in September when a social media influencer, Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, released an audio recording allegedly featuring Bobrisky discussing the bribery of EFCC officials to drop money laundering charges against him.

The embattled cross-dresser was stopped and removed from an Amsterdam-bound KLM flight at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos late Thursday night while attempting to leave the country for London, the United Kingdom.

He quickly alerted his followers on social media about the arrest, stating that he sustained injuries during the process.

Bobrisky wrote, “Nigerians, help me, EFCC just arrested me. I’m badly injured.”

He was subsequently flown to the headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja, where he was interrogated on his bribery allegations against the commission.

In a voice note shared by a controversial social critic, Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky allegedly said he bribed EFCC officers with N15m to drop money laundering charges against him.

Bobrisky perfected his bail late Friday night and was subsequently released.

Bobrisky perfected his bail late Friday night and was subsequently released.

A source, who confirmed the development to our correspondent, on the condition of anonymity, said Okuneye was detained in the female cell because of his controversial lifestyle, adding that there were no female detainees as of the time he was detained at the facility.

The source said, “Bobrisky was brought to the FCID, Alagbon, around 10 p.m. on Monday. Immigration arrested him at the Seme Border and brought him for safekeeping. He is in detention at the FCID, Alagbon. He was arrested on Sunday, detained overnight, and taken to the FCID, Alagbon. We have a lot of cells in Alagbon; and when you are having a case like that, you have to look for the right place to guarantee the safety and security of the person being detained.

Everybody is conscious of the fact that Bobrisky could be gay and nobody wants to be part of a scandal. If you put him among males, anything can happen and you cannot put him among females. So, they gave him a cell alone and the cell is around the female section and they didn’t have any female inmate around that cell.”

Confirming Okuneye’s detention, the spokesperson for the FCID, Lagos, Mayegun Aminat, during a conversation with our correspondent, on Tuesday, said, “He is detained at the FCID, Alagbon. He is with us and we are to get a remand to keep him in custody today.”

However, efforts to get an updated reaction confirming that Bobrisky was detained in a female cell proved abortive as he did not take his calls and had yet to respond to a text message sent to his mobile number as of the time this report was filed

It was gathered that further directives were being awaited regarding Okuneye’s case as he was taken to the FCID for safekeeping following his arrest by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service during his attempt to exit the country through the Seme border.

The source said Okuneye’s attempt to exit the country through the Seme border indicated that he was aware that security agencies were after him.

“From what we gathered, he was trying to escape from the country, but we also think that maybe he is on the blacklist and for him to go to the Seme border, maybe he is aware that they are looking for him,” the source said.

spokesperson for the NIS, Kenneth Udo, in a statement on Monday evening, described Okuneye as a person of interest over recent issues of public concern.

“In keeping with its commitment to securing the borders, the Nigeria Immigration Service intercepted Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, otherwise known as Bobrisky at the Seme Border over an attempt to exit the country.

“He is undergoing interrogation and will be handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action. The Service assures the public that it will continue to be civil and professional in its statutory responsibility of manning the country’s borders,” Udo said.

During the hearing, both the EFCC and the NCoS officials denied the bribery allegations. The EFCC refuted claims that Bobrisky paid N15 million to have the money laundering charges against him dropped, while the NCoS insisted that Bobrisky served his term at the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre and not in a private apartment as alleged.

Bobrisky was convicted on April 5, 2024, by the Federal High Court in Lagos and sentenced to six months in prison for abuse of the naira. On August 5, 2024, the self-acclaimed “Mummy of Lagos” regained his freedom amid allegations of receiving preferential treatment while in custody due to his fame as a media personality.

Last week, a social media influencer, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, released an audio recording purportedly made by Bobrisky, in which he claimed that after his conviction and sentencing, an unnamed godfather, in collaboration with the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, arranged for him to serve his six-month sentence in a private apartment.

In the audio shared by VDM, Bobrisky was alleged to have claimed that he paid as much as N15m to EFCC officials to drop the money laundering charges against him.

Following these allegations, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordered a probe and the immediate suspension of the Deputy Controller of Corrections in charge of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos State, Michael Anugwa, and the Deputy Controller of Corrections in charge of the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos State, Sikiru Adekunle.

Additionally, last week, the House of Representatives resolved to invite Bobrisky, VDM, the EFCC, and the NCoS for questioning over the matter.

Appearing before the Reps Joint Committee on Monday, Anugwa stated that when Bobrisky was brought to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, he refused to eat the prison rations, preferring to make personal arrangements for his feeding. He added that this practice is guaranteed under the nation’s laws.

On why Bobrisky was kept in a different cell away from other inmates, Anugwa explained, “During the admission of the inmate (Bobrisky), we discovered that he had two features. We did not know where to place him because, for instance, he had breasts. We had to take him to Room 2 in the B Ward. This is also in line with global best practices as approved by the United Nations.”

Regarding Bobrisky’s transfer to the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Anugwa said, “Friends of Bobrisky bought plastic chairs and brought them to the centre. There was so much media hype that he had to be moved to Kirikiri for security.”

When asked if the donation of chairs could have influenced Bobrisky’s movement from Ikoyi to Kirikiri, Anugwa declined to comment, but added that it is a tradition for inmates to make donations to authorities while in custody.

He denied the allegation that Bobrisky was held outside the walls of a correctional facility, stating, “Bobrisky was admitted on April 13, with a valid warrant and a transfer order from Ikoyi Correctional Facility. The warrant was given to me the same day of his conviction. The biometric was taken the next day because he came around 10:30 PM. Okuneye spent 10 days at a medium correctional centre and was moved to maximum because he refused to eat the prison food and then applied for self-feeding, which was approved. Bobrisky nominated two people to bring his food to the facility, Abiola Okuneye and Moji Okuneye. During the admission, we discovered that Idris, though a man, had special features like breasts that would not allow us to put him in the general cell. We agreed to put him in a separate cell. While he was there, he had a total of 39 visitors.”

Echoing Anugwa’s position, the Assistant Controller General of NCoS in charge of the Kirikiri Maximum Security Centre, Ben-Rabbi Freeman, said he transported Bobrisky to Kirikiri in his official car.

“The transfer from Ikoyi to Kirikiri was purely for security purposes. The inmate (Bobrisky) was taken to the maximum facility in my official car,” Freeman said.

When asked if he was on suspension, the Deputy Controller elicited prolonged laughter at the investigative hearing when he said he learned about his fate via a press release. “The suspension was in the form of a press release,” he said.

When pressed further to clarify his position, Anugwa added, “It was a social media suspension, sir,” a remark that sent the audience into another bout of laughter.

However, the NCoS, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Umar Abubakar, labeled Anugwa’s actions as an attempt to mislead the public.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Nigerian Correctional Service suspended not only the said officer in the video but three other officers following their alleged roles in various misconducts to allow for further investigation. The suspended officers include the officer in charge of the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos, Deputy Controller of Corrections Sikiru Adekunle; the officer in charge of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos, Deputy Controller of Corrections Michael Anugwa; the officer in charge of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, FCT command, DCC Kevin Ikechukwu Iloafonsi; and Assistant Superintendent of Corrections Ogbule Samuel Obinna of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State,” Abubakar said.

VeryDarkMan apeaks on allegation

Meanwhile, VeryDarkMan, who initially declined to speak unless Bobrisky was produced, later agreed to comment after committee members and his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, urged him to have a change of mind.

Speaking on his allegations, VeryDarkMan told the investigating committee that he obtained his audio recording from someone who lent Bobrisky N4m.

Bobrisky claimed he had a godfather. I don’t know if that godfather is here, so I will present my evidence one at a time as I have more audio recordings,” he said.

Also speaking, Bobrisky’s lawyer, Avwerosuoghene Omuvwie, informed the House panel that his client could not honor the invitation due to ill health.

However, this did not sit well with the committee, which demanded medical proof to support the claim. A committee member, Patrick Umoh (PDP, Akwa Ibom), warned that the panel would not entertain frivolous excuses in the future, stating, “We hope that the next time we invite him, he will be well.”

EFCC defends allegation

Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff to the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, Michael Nzekwe, who represented his principal at the investigative hearing, explained why the commission dropped money laundering charges against Bobrisky. According to him, the charges were dropped because Bobrisky had pleaded guilty in his confessional statement.

He urged the House to “use its constitutional power to ensure that corruption and other vices are exposed, investigated, and prosecuted, and also to ensure that patriotic and dedicated officers are not blackmailed, demonized, and demoralized for faithfully serving and carrying out their lawful duties.”

“The commission has been consistent in its advocacy, calling on the public with credible information on alleged acts of corruption involving any of its officers to come forward with evidence. The public is urged to do so responsibly.

“Short of the ex-convict and other accusers openly naming the officers of the commission to whom they allegedly gave the bribe of N15m in order to influence the dropping of counts 5 and 6 of the charge bordering on money laundering, it is reasonable to infer that the ex-convict merely made up the story to convince the yet-to-be-identified person he was speaking with to obtain financial favors under false pretenses by dropping the name of the commission.

“We wish to draw the attention of the Honorable House to the fact that the onus of proving this grievous allegation against officials of the commission rests squarely on the accusers in this case: the ex-convict and VeryDarkMan. It is noteworthy that the commission extended an invitation to both the ex-convict and VeryDarkMan to assist in unraveling the identities of the officers of the commission to whom the alleged bribe of N15n was paid,” the EFCC stated.

The Chairman of the Committee, Ginger Onwusibe, however, indicated that at the next meeting, the person who recorded the audio should appear before the committee, while the meeting was adjourned sine die.

Although the minister did not mention any specific case, his directive comes on the heels of a voice note shared by Martins Otse, a.k.a. VeryDarkMan, in which Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, claimed that after his conviction and sentencing for abuse of the naira notes in April, his godfather, in collaboration with the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, arranged for him to serve his six-month sentence in a private apartment.

This was as human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), denied any involvement with Bobrisky and gave VeryDarkMan a 24-hour ultimatum to retract the statement he made linking him to Bobrisky.

“We wish to state, without any fear of contradiction, that our client (Falana) has never, in his life, spoken to Brobrisky on his alleged pardon or on any matter whatsoever,” Falana’s lawyer stated in their letter to VeryDarkMan demanding a retraction and an apology.

In a voice note played online by VeryDarkMan, a voice, believed to be Bobrisky’s, was heard saying:  “There’s jealousy involved. When I got to court, I admitted guilt, hoping for either a fine or community service. However, the court sentenced me. On my way to prison, my godfather called and assured me I wouldn’t enter prison. He told me not to worry and said he would arrange an apartment near the prison and speak to the Comptroller General of Prisons in Abuja.

“After they spoke, I was taken to an apartment where I was told not to come out until I finished my sentence. They informed the person at the apartment that their boss instructed them to keep me there and not let me leave. The person said he’d collect N10m, so I had to call Elele again. Elele gave me N2m because there was no one else to call.”

In the same viral voice note, Bobrisky also allegedly claimed that he paid a N15m bribe to officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to drop money laundering charges against him, leaving only abuse of naira charges, of which he was convicted and sentenced.

According to the voice note, he also allegedly claimed to have been contacted by the rap musician, Falz, and his human rights lawyer father, Falana, who proposed to help him seek the Federal Government’s pardon for a N10m fee.

Reacting to the raging controversy in a statement on Wednesday by his media aide, Alao Babatunde, the interior minister ordered an immediate probe, stressing that no form of indiscipline would be condoned under his watch.

“The Minister of Interior has directed an unconditional and comprehensive investigation into the allegations of bribery and corruption within the Nigerian Correctional Service.

“Tunji-Ojo unequivocally condemned the alleged reprehensible behaviour, emphasising that any form of indiscipline, unprofessionalism, or corruption will be met with zero tolerance and severe consequences within the paramilitary services under the ministry’s purview.

“The ministry will not tolerate any compromise on its core values of integrity, transparency, and accountability. We will leave no stone unturned in rooting out corruption and ensuring that those found culpable face the full wrath of the law,” Alao said in the statement.

He added that the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Magdalene Ajani, would head the team investigating the allegations.

He said, “The minister has called for a special investigative team, headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, to probe these allegations and submit a comprehensive report.

The 33-year-old Instagram celebrity was sentenced to six months in prison on Friday, April 12, 2024, without the option of a fine by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Lagos, for abusing the naira and was released on Monday, August 5.

In an interview Bobrisky said his experience in prison was like a vacation because he needed the time to rest.

He said, “Who is an ex-convict? You brought me to come and embarrass me or what? I am not an ex-convict because I cannot be convicted for spraying money. So, I am not an ex-convict. I will not accept that. But if you say ex-man, I can say yes. Because I was once a man way back, I cannot even remember.

“You said it is an excursion. To me, I see it as a vacation. Vacation to go and rest. I have been working so hard. So their decision was okay for me. They decided to break me, but sadly, nothing happened to the mummy of Lagos.”

Bobrisky added that he was sentenced to prison by people who wanted to break him, stressing that his incarceration happened to him like a movie.

The crossdresser, however, said he is not an ex-convict, despite his recent prison sentence, adding that he would spray dollars and not naira at events in the future.

He said, “These people wanted to break me. Everything happened to me like a movie. Spraying of money? It is my money. I did not owe anybody money. I did not steal. I did not kidnap. And I was sentenced to where we have kidnappers, robbers.

“I am still going to spray money, but I will only spray dollars, not naira.”

Speaking on the reason he pleaded guilty in court, Bobrisky said, “If I had told the judge I was not guilty, she would give me bail, and I would go to my house. I told the judge I was guilty because I was the one showing on the video.

“I believed that when I told the judge the truth, whether my lord was a man or a woman, I did not care. It now depends on my lord to decide whether I would be given the option of fine, community service or anything. But my lord chose to sentence Bobrisky to prison.”

Speaking further, Bobriksy disclosed that he was locked in the male section of the correctional centre, adding that he was not kept in the Very Important Person section.

He said, “I was at the male correctional centre, and I loved it. If they had given me the female correctional centre, I would not have fun. I would not enjoy myself”.

“While at the male correctional centre, I was the only different person. So people were friendly to me. They were showing me care. They were giving me stuff. If I had stayed in the female, who would have shown me care and bought me food?

“But I was in the female EFCC custody. Because there were four people in the room. Like four to five guys in a room, and obviously, this is a baddie with boobs, a nice shape. So, they would not put me among those guys.”

Bobrisky is currently serving a six-month prison sentence over abuse of the naira notes.

James Brown, who went alongside some other individuals, disclosed his visit in a post on his Instagram page on Friday.

In April, the Nigerian Correctional Service, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Rotimi Oladokun, disclosed that Bobrisky was remanded in a male custodial centre and observed all regulations and rules in place at the centre, especially concerning the dress code.

It was also reported that the controversial crossdresser was treated equally like other inmates in the facility.

Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Lagos, while sentencing the convict, on Friday, April 12, 2024, said the judgment would be a deterrent to others who are found abusing and mutilating the naira.

Bobrisky who was taken into the Custodial Centre after the judgement was said to have been treated equally like other inmates.

A top official in the facility who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the crossdresser was examined at the point of admission.

According to the official, the outcome of the examination revealed that the convict had no realignment of gender or genital organs.

The source said that, “Bobrisky made a public declaration that he was a male and court proceedings are public records. Every inmate brought into a facility during admission is examined.  He was equally examined and no realignment of gender or genital organ was discovered. The male biological features were the same.

“After that, a cell was allocated to him, and he had a certain number of inmates with him. A bed space was also allotted to him. It is just like a boarding house where your housemaster will issue you your personal belongings.”

The source added that the convicted crossdresser had been observing the rules and procedures obtained in the facility.

“When it is time for class, he attends. When it is time for food, he will go and get his portion. The same goes with prep and light out. He observes all these without preference. He has been going about his business just like other inmates since he was brought in here.”

While making a clarification on the claims that Bobrisky was being protected against abuse, the official noted that the facility frowned against any form of abuse by a fellow inmate.

“He is not getting any five-star treatment and is not being protected from anybody. He follows the same rules and regulations just like every other inmate. Single cells of isolation cells are to prevent outbreaks of communicable diseases. In a male prison, homosexuality is outlawed and it is a grievous offence. Sodomy or homosexuality, is frowned upon here in the custodial centre. So any inmate that tries to violate him will face the law.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Command of the NCS, Rotimi Oladokun, declined to speak on the matter.

“I have no comment,” he said.

Justice Abimbola Awogboro sentenced him to six months imprisonment without the option of a fine for abusing the naira.

Before the sentence, the judge asked about his gender, and he quickly replied that he was a man.

When the judge asked, “Are you a man or a woman?” Bobrisky responded, “I am a man.”

Awogboro said the judgment would be a deterrent to others who are found abusing and mutilating the naira.

The judge ruled that the jail term commenced on March 24, 2024, the day of his arrest.

On April 5, the court had convicted Bobrisky after he pleaded guilty to the charge of abusing the naira filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The judge therefore postponed the sentencing to Tuesday, April 9, 2024.

However, the day was declared a public holiday by the Federal Government for the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.

Bobrisky had last Friday, after his conviction, pleaded with the court to give him a lesser punishment as he was not aware of the law of abusing the naira.

In his allocutus, he begged the court that he was not aware of the law of abusing the naira.

He said that he is a social media influencer with over five million followers.

The judge then told him that ignorance of the law was not an excuse.

He said, “I know, My Lord. My Lord, I wish that you could give me a second chance to use my platform to inform and educate my followers about spraying money.

“I would do a video on my page, and I would educate people about spraying money.

” I will not repeat it, My Lord. I regret my actions, My Lord.”

This movie stirred a lot of controversy to the extent that it was reported that the movie might be banned by the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board .

However Anuka, who also wrote the movie said that the movie was never meant to promote homosexuality.

He said “There was no ban; a panel was set up to investigate if the movie promoted some things that were against our culture. If it is found to be true , then the movie would be banned. There is no outright ban of the movie . It is not good to judge a book by its cover, they need to watch the movie and see the message in the movie . If they have an issue with the lead character in the movie , then I wouldn ’t know. As a professional filmmaker, I try to cast people who fit into my script perfectly. Film is make-believe; it ’s about trying to convince people. The movie is about a young man whose father is a core traditionalist . The young man left to study in the western world as a normal man, leaving his family members and fiancée behind . The father was to be given a traditional title , and part of the requirement of the title was to present his son who should take after him. He had performed other rites and the last step was for the son to come back . He believed his son was still the way he was when he left for overseas, so he was acquiring properties for him. The father was even in line to become a king. He was very proud of his son and expecting him to come back bigger than he left, only for the supposed son to return as a woman. He was shocked. They (his siblings and fiancée ) were all surprised . The character begged his family to accept him the way he is, but his family members insisted that they wouldn’t do that because it was against their culture . It was a battle in the movie . The bottom line was that they tried everything to make him behave like a man again , traditionally . That is what the storyline is about . At the end of the movie, the character said he was only playing a game to test the love of his fiancée to see if he would still accept him. At the end of the day , he decided to put away everything that made him look like a woman to be with his fiancée. The movie didn’t try to promote homosexuality,”