6 days Ago By Owolabi Ayobami
Bobrisky, a Nigerian crossdresser, has filed a lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Assembly, alleging violations of his fundamental rights. The crossdresser has been at the centre of controversy since activist VeryDarkMan posted an alleged audio conversation in which he claimed to have bribed some EFCC officials N15 million to drop money laundering allegations against him. Bobrisky was given a six-month prison sentence on April 12 for abusing the naira, and was released on August 5.
In the alleged audio, the crossdresser further claimed that his “godfather,” along with Haliru Nababa, controller-general of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), made sure he served the six-month term in a private flat rather than a jail. Bobrisky rejected the recording’s validity and vowed to sue VeryDarkMan. The House of Representatives’ joint committee on financial crimes and reformatory institutions decided to investigate the bribery allegations.
It also invited VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky, Ola Olukoyode, the EFCC chairman, and Nababa to appear before the committee. The social media personality, who did not appear before the committee, was arrested on October 21 at the Seme border for reportedly attempting to exit the country and was subsequently released. On November 1, the crossdresser was apprehended again by EFCC officials while attempting to flee Nigeria.
READ MORE: “I Was Accused Of Using Mohbad’s Death For Clout” – Iyabo Ojo A video posted on Instagram showed airport officials taking him from the plane. The commission also acknowledged that he was re-arrested to help in the investigation of bribery charges against the agency, after which he ultimately left Nigeria on November 4. On Saturday, Bobrisky resorted to Instagram to share a court filing dated October 10 that prohibits the EFCC and national assembly from “harassing, detaining, or declaring me wanted.
” In the case, Bobrisky alleged that the commission invited him to an investigation based on a hearsay WhatsApp phone call shared by VeryDarkMan. He further claimed that the EFCC failed to examine the recording’s legitimacy, resulting in him being mocked on social media, receiving threats from unknown individuals, and having his privacy invaded. According to the petition, the crossdresser is seeking N200 million from the EFCC for “psychotic trauma” and N1 billion from the national assembly for “violating my right to a fair hearing”.
“The sum of one billion against the 1st respondent being damages for unlawful attempt to violate the right to fair hearing of the applicant, violate his right from discrimination, violate his right to private and family life, right to privacy of his home and telephone conversations,” the document reads in part. “The sum of two hundred million naira against the 2nd respondent being damages suffered, psychotically trauma, mental torture and criminal stigmatisation caused by the reckless report given by the 2nd respondent to the 1st respondent without any proper investigation and fair hearing stating that the doctored social media published audio by Verydarkman was true, having not carried out any formal and proper investigation by contacting WhatsApp and laying before the committee that the hearsay doctored evidence was confirmed to be true and authentic. “The violation of the right of freedom of movement, right to privacy of his telecommunication.
Bobrisky claimed in an accompanying caption that despite the court order, the EFCC and other security agencies continue to abuse his rights, causing his health to deteriorate. He also criticised the anti-graft agency’s efforts, claiming that they were “above the law”. “Notwithstanding the earlier filing of this fundamental rights matter the EFCC still violently assaulted and harassed me and pulled me out of a plane set for takoff,” she wrote.
“The EFCC and other security agencies in Nigeria are violators of human rights and it is high time the world and the international community gets to know about their trademark of violation of freedom and rights. “Without any order of court the minister of interior ordered the Nigeria immigration service and police to arrest and detain me which lead to my worsening illnesses. “Then again the EFCC arrested and took me from their Lagos office to Abuja notwithstanding the pendency of this suit.
“It is a shame that the EFCC does not respect the court neither does any security agencies. They act above the law which they claim to protect and implement.”.
