A claim that a Nigerian cross-dresser and socialite, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky has been sentenced to two years imprisonment has circulated widely on TikTok.
The claim posted online by a TikTok user, @kyc_comedy, consists of a collage of two videos – one which shows a federal lawmaker moving a motion and the second that shows where an named man was reacting to the first video.
The audio of the footage transcribed below read:
The speaker, honorable colleagues, my name is honorable Dr Patrick Umoh … I rise to move the motion on the urgent need to investigate the disturbing allegation of corruption against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian correction service to save Nigeria from ridicule the house notes the disturbing and widely circulated publication emanating from Martins Vincent Otse also known as VeryDarkMan against critical Nigerian Law Enforcement institutions. it also notes that the EFCC drop money laundering charges against Idris Okuneye also known as Bobrisky upon collection of the sum of 15 million Naira. This house further notes that the publication alleges that the Idris Okuneye upon conviction of the abuse and defacing of the naira by the court did not serve his time at the Nigerian Correctional Service but was lodged outside the confines of the service. Disturbed about the damning allegations against the critical Nigerian law Enforcement agencies, of the EFCC and NCos established by these [sic] chambers. to fight correction and [sic] persons convicted of crime for correctional purposes respectively worried about the negative image and portrayal of Nigeria as a corrupt nation and Nigeria struggled to redeem itself from such perception. This house resolves to urge the house to set up an ad hoc committee comprising of persons of unquestionable integrity to immediately probe the allegations and report to the house within three legislative weeks.
There was an inscription on the video with a caption that read:
Bobrisky has been sentence to two years imprisonment
The post had garnered a total of over 65,000 likes, more than 3,000 comments, over 4,000 bookmarks and over 4,700 reposts as of October 13, 2024.
CLAIM
Bobrisky has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
THE FINDINGS
Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE!
In April 2024, The ICIR reported that Bobrisky was sentenced to six months in prison for defacing Naira notes without the option of fine. He was later released in August after serving his term.
However, Martins Otse, popularly called VeryDarkMan on social media, recently released an audio recording claiming that Bobrisky bribed Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials with ₦15 million to drop the money laundering charges leveled against him.
The recording also alleged that Bobrisky served his prison time in a private apartment instead of a prison facility, facilitated by his influential connections. These allegations were the motion moved by the lawmaker to investigate the claims. The minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, also ordered an investigation into the bribery allegation.
In response, Bobrisky filed a ₦1 billion lawsuit for defamation, accusing VeryDarkMan of using AI-generated audio to damage his reputation. Bobrisky demanded a retraction, public apology, and monetary compensation.
On Monday, September 30, 2024, the House of Representatives began an inquiry into the allegations surrounding Bobrisky’s bribery saga. However, Bobrisky was notably absent from the House proceedings but his lawyer attended in his place, citing his client’s illness as the reason for not appearing at the hearing.
The session was then adjourned indefinitely after the committee heard several presentations from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and the EFCC.
Throughout the 2 minutes, 8 seconds video, there was no mention of Bobrisky being imprisoned which indicated that the caption of the post was likely intended as a clickbait.
Checks by our fact-checker also show that the news was not reported by any credible media platform.
THE VERDICT
The claim that Bobrisky has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment is FALSE; Bobrisky was earlier sentenced to six months imprisonment which he had already served; even though the latest bribery allegation is still being investigated, there is neither legal trial nor court verdict yet on the issue.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected].