Okuneye was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on four counts bordering on naira abuse.

He pleaded guilty before Justice A.O. Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Justice Awogboro, on April 12, sentenced Okuneye to six months imprisonment without an option of fine.

The judge, while sentencing the convict said the judgment should serve as a deterrent to others fond of abusing and mutilating the naira.

However, counsel for Okuneye, Mr Bimbo Kusanu, filed a notice of appeal, praying the Court of Appeal to set aside the maximum sentence.

Kusanu is asking the court to replace the sentence with an option of N50,000 fine on each of the counts.

The counsel stated in the notice of appeal that the trial court imposed the maximum sentence on the appellant, who had no previous criminal record of conviction.

He stated that there were options to impose a lesser sentence by the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA.

He averred that the sentence imposed by the trial court against the appellant was punitive and contrary to the mandatory provisions of the ACJA.

The appellant stated that the trial court did not consider the positive antecedent of the appellant, who did not waste the time of the court by pleading guilty to the charge.

He stated that the appellant honoured the invitation of the respondent on the first invitation.

He said that the trial court failed to exercise its discretion judiciously and judicially in sentencing the appellant.

He explained that such an act had occasioned a miscarriage of justice against the appellant.

Source: NAN

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The court did not give the cross dresser an option of fine.

Bobrisky was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The court convicted him on April 5, following his guilty plea, but reserved sentence until April 9.

The court had ordered Okuneye to be kept in the custody of the EFCC pending  sentencing.

However, due to federal government’s declaration of April 9, April  10 and April 11 public holiday, the case could not proceed as scheduled.

On Friday, Justice Abimbola Awogboro sentenced the convict without an option of fine.

The judge held that imprisonment would take effect from the date of the cross dresser’s arrest.

Okuneye was taken away by EFCC operatives immediately after his sentencing.

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The EFCC had, on April 4, filed a six-count charge against Okuneye.

The charge bordered on Naira mutilation and money laundering.

He was consequently arraigned on April 5 and he pleaded guilty to the first four counts.

The court struck out the last two counts following an application by the EFCC.

On April 5, Mr Bolaji Temitope, a  prosecution witness and  Assistant Superintendent of EFCC, gave evidence before the court and narrated the circumstances surrounding prosecution of Okuneye.

After review of the facts of the case, EFCC counsel, Mr Suleiman Suleiman, prayed  the court to convict the cross dresser.

According to EFCC, Okuneye committed the offences on March 24, at Circle Mall, Jakande, Lekki, Lagos State.

The commission stated that Okuneye tampered with the cumulative sum of N400,000 while dancing during a social event, by spraying same.

Okuneye also sprayed various tranches of money such as N20,000 and N50,000 at various events in 2022 and 2023, according to EFCC.

The offences contravene Section 21(1) Central Bank Act of 2007 and Section 19 of Money Laundering Act of 2022.

Source: NAN

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, charged Bobrisky with six counts of abuse and money laundering.

The court convicted the defendant following his guilty plea.

The court however, reserved sentence until April 9 and ordered that he be remanded in custody of the EFCC till then.

When the case was called, the prosecutor, Mr Suleiman Suleiman, informed the court that following a discussion, the defendant agreed to plead guilty to the charge.

He, consequently, applied for counts five and six to be struck out, leaving counts one to four.

The court accordingly struck out counts five and six.

Mr Ayo Olumofin appeared for defence.

When the remaining counts was read to the defendant, he pleaded guilty to same.

Following his plea, the prosecutor called on the investigating police officer to give a brief review of the case as its prosecution witness.

The witness, Mr Bolaji Temitope, an assistant superintendent of the EFCC, said that during investigation, the team came about a video where the defendant was seen mutilating the Naira notes.

He said that the videos were downloaded and copied on a Compact Disc (CD) while a letter of invitation was sent to the defendant.

According to him, the defendant honoured the invitation and when he arrived the EFCC office, he was cautioned and then he volunteered a statement.

The witness told the court that the defendant was then shown a video where he was spraying money on an artiste called Segun Johnson adding that the defendant confessed and admitted that he was the person in the video.

He said that the defendant was also shown a video of him at Circle Mall Lekki, where he sprayed a total sum of N400,000 at a movie premier, adding that the defendant again admitted same.

He told the court that the defendant was also shown two videos of him spraying money at Ajah and Ikorodu Junction in Lagos, and the defendant still admitted same.

At this point, the prosecutor showed the witness the CD containing the videos as well as statement of the defendant and certificate of identification.

The witness confirmed same to the court, and there was no objection from the defence.

The court consequently, admitted same and marked them exhibit A, B1 and B2.

The prosecutor, then urged the court to convict the defendant as charged based on the case as presented by the EFCC.

The court consequently, found the defendant guilty of the offence as charged and accordingly convicted him.

In his plea for mercy, the defendant told the court that he was a social media influencer with five million followers.

He said: “In all honesty, I was not aware of the law; my lord, I wish I can be given a second chance to use my platform to educate my followers about spraying the naira.

“I will do a video on my page and educate those who do not know like myself, about spraying of the Naira; I regret my action,” he said.

On his part, defence counsel begged for a non-custodial sentence for the defendant.

The court then rose briefly after the allocutus by defence.

When the court resumed, the judge reserved judgement until April 9, and ordered that he be remanded in EFCC custody pending judgement.

Bobrisky was arrested on Thursday by the anti-graft agency in connection with the offence.

According to the charge, he was said to have committed the offence on March 24, at Circle Mall, Jakande in the Lekki area of Lagos.

The agency said that he tampered with the cumulative sum of N400,000 while dancing during a social event, by spraying same.

He was said to have sprayed various tranches of money between 2022 and 2023 such as N20,000 and N50,000 at various events.

Meanwhile, in the struck out counts, the EFCC had said that the defendant trading under the name and style of BobExpress between September 1, 2021 and April 4, also failed to submit to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering , a declaration of the activities of his company.

According to the EFCC, within the said period, the sum of N128 million was paid into the company’s account.

It had said that within same period the defendant failed to submit a declaration to the unit, of his company, where the sum of N53 million was paid.

The offences contravene the provisions of sections 21(1) Central Bank Act 2007, and 19 Money Laundering Act 2022.

Source: NAN

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The charge was filed on Thursday.

Bobrisky will be arraigned on Friday before Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

While the first four counts of the charge border on abuse of the Naira, the last two counts border on alleged money laundering.

In the charge sheet filed by EFCC Prosecutor, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Rotimi Oyedepo, alongside seven other lawyers, Bobrisky in the first count is alleged to have tampered with the sum of N400,000 by spraying same while dancing at a social event at the IMAX Circle Mall, Lekki, Lagos.

The offence was committed on March 24, 2024, and is contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007.

In count two, Bobrisky between July and August 2023 at Aja Junction, Ikorodu also tampered with another sum of N50,000 by spraying the same at a social event while dancing.

In count three, Bobrisky in December 2023 at White Steve Event Hall, Ikeja also sprayed and tampered with another sum of N20,000 while dancing.

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Count four also accused Bobrisky of spraying and tampering with another sum of N20,000 while dancing at another event in Oniru, Victoria Island.

In count five, Bobrisky while trading under the name and style of Bob Express between September 1, 2021, and April 4, 2024, in Lagos, failed to submit to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering, a declaration of the activities of the said company, (Bob Express), within which period the total sum of N127. 7m was paid into the company account domiciled with Ecobank.

In count six, Bobrisky is also accused of failing to submit a declaration of the activities of the company within the same period when another N53m was paid into the company’s account thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 6(1)(a), and Section 19(1) (f) of the Money Laundering (Prevention And Prohibition) Act and punishable under Section 19 (2) (b) of the same Act.

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