A human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun has criticised the recent arrest of popular Nigerian crossdresser Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky, by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at the Seme border.
Daily Patriot reported that Mr Okuneye was detained by NIS officials while attempting to leave the country.
Authorities also stated that the crossdresser was arrested because he is a “person of interest” in connection with ongoing public concerns.
In an interview with Daily Patriot on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, Mr Ogun labelled the arrest as “arbitrary, illegal, and unconstitutional”.
He argued that there is no legal basis for the action against Mr Okuneye.
The lawyer also questioned the grounds for detaining the social media influencer, pointing out that no formal charges have been filed against him.
Further highlighting concerns over possible human rights violations, Mr Ogun said questions mount over the legality of the government’s actions in this case.
“Denying a Nigerian citizen the right to leave the country without a valid legal reason is entirely wrongful,” Mr Ogun stated.
He said, “There is no charge currently pending against Bobrisky. What exactly is the alleged offence that justifies his arrest and continuous harassment?”
Ogun further emphasized that Mr Okuneye’s right to freedom of movement and personal liberty is protected under the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
“What is the legal justification for denying him these rights?” he asked.
Allegations against Mr Okuneye
Recall that Mr Okuneye has been at the centre of public debates over his controversial lifestyle and frequent clashes with authorities.
In a recent turn out of events, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, alleged in viral videos that some officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) collected N15 million as bribe from Mr Okuneye.
According to Mr Otse, the N15 million was given to the officials to enable them to help Mr Okuneye drop the money laundering charges against him by the EFCC.
The charges followed allegations that Mr Okuneye defaced and mutilated the naira by spraying wads of notes at an event in April.
However, a court sentenced Mr Okuneye to six months imprisonment in April 2024.
He was later released in August after serving his jail term which has been under contention as there are allegations that he bribed his way out to serve from the comfort of his home.
Subsequently, in reaction to the allegations, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on September 30, 2024, inaugurated a committee to investigate allegations of gross misconduct within the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS).
The minister tasked the committee with delivering its report within two weeks and charged the panel members with investigating specific allegations of corruption, torture, and mistreatment of inmates by correctional officers, particularly the incident involving Mr Okuneye, with an expected report completion within two weeks.
“Nobody will be shielded. Nobody, no matter how highly placed, will be shielded,” the minister had said.
Meanwhile, a federal government panel investigating bribery allegations surrounding the popular crossdresser has confirmed that the social media personality served a six-month jail term but benefited from certain privileges during incarceration.
The findings were disclosed on Monday, October 21, 2024, by panel member Uju Agomoh at the Ministry of Interior.
