Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, has finally left Nigeria after multiple unsuccessful attempts to travel abroad. This development comes amidst ongoing legal troubles that began in April 2024.
In October, Bobrisky faced two arrests—one by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and another by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)—while attempting to flee Nigeria.
The NIS apprehended Bobrisky at the Seme border while he was allegedly trying to escape the country, and the anti-graft agency later removed him from an Amsterdam-bound KLM flight at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
However, on Monday, Bobrisky announced in a series of videos posted on his Instagram story that he had left Nigeria. “See you soon, Nigeria,” he wrote. Bobrisky did not reveal his current location.
In the videos, Bobrisky also revealed that his arrest by NIS and EFCC cost him over N30 million. “This girl bought first-class tickets three times; that’s over N30 million. Raise the bar for this girl,” he said. Additionally, he lamented the damage to his passport, saying, “That passport disfigured my picture.”
Bobrisky’s legal woes began in April when he was sentenced to six months in prison by the Federal High Court in Lagos for Naira abuse. He was sent to Kirikiri Prison to serve the term and was released on August 5 with a noticeably refreshed appearance, sparking public speculation about his time in prison.
Weeks after his release, social media influencer Martins ‘VeryDarkMan’ Otse leaked an audio recording alleging that Bobrisky paid a N15 million bribe to EFCC officials to drop money laundering charges against him. In the recording, Bobrisky allegedly claimed he served only three weeks in prison before being moved to a private location.
According to the recording, Bobrisky also stated that, with his godfather’s assistance, he bribed the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to complete his sentence in a private apartment. Furthermore, he alleged that music artist Falz and his father, human rights lawyer Femi Falana, approached him during his imprisonment, requesting N10 million to secure a presidential pardon for him.
Reacting to the crossdresser’s allegations, Mr. Falana issued a cease-and-desist letter, demanding a retraction and public apology for what he described as ‘defamatory statements.’ However, Bobrisky denied the allegations, asking the lawyer and his son to hold VeryDarkMan, who leaked the recording, responsible.
“This is fake,” Bobrisky said, vowing to sue VeryDarkMan.
Upon the leaked recording, an investigative panel was set up by the Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to look into the allegations against the NCoS. Upon the investigation’s conclusion, the panel stated that there was no evidence that Bobrisky served any time outside the prison facility.
