Nigerian crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, has been arrested and detained by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the night of Thursday, October 31, 2024, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.
According to reports, Mr Okuneye was attempting to board a flight to London, just days after he was arrested by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service at the Seme border in Lagos State.
Authorities stated that he was a “person of interest” in connection with ongoing public concerns.
Meanwhile, new reports indicate that Nigerian authorities halted the flight and escorted Me Okuneye off the aircraft headed for London.
Following the incident, the crossdresser took to Instagram to alert followers, posting, “Nigerians help me, EFCC just arrested me. I’m badly injured.”
The exact reasons behind this latest arrest remain unclear, as the EFCC is yet to release an official statement on the matter.
However, his detention adds to a series of legal challenges for the social media personality.
Mr Okuneye has been at the centre of public debates over his controversial lifestyle and frequent clashes with authorities.
Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, alleged in viral videos that some officers of the EFCC collected N15 million from Mr Okuneye during his naira spraying incident in April, in exchange for dropping the money laundering charges against him.
Subsequently, a court sentenced the crossdresser to six months imprisonment in April 2024, he was, however, released in August.
On September 30, 2024, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, 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 confirmed that he served a six-month jail term but benefited from certain privileges during incarceration.
