Real Reason I Pleaded Guilty In Naira Abuse Case; Bobrisky
Nigerian cross-dresser and social media influencer, Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, has revealed the reason behind his guilty plea for naira note abuse, which led to a six-month prison sentence in April.
Bobrisky, 33, was convicted by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Lagos on April 12, 2024, for mishandling the Nigerian currency, with no option for a fine.
Following his six-month prison sentence, Bobrisky was released from the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos State on Monday, August 5.
In a recent interview on the ‘Curiosity Made Me Ask’ podcast, which aired on Saturday, Bobrisky explained why he chose to plead guilty in court, despite his lawyers’ advice to plead not guilty.
He described the sentence as the worst consequence of living his desired lifestyle, but expressed preparedness for any future challenges.
He said, “The mistake people are making; let me correct that part because I can see that you keep saying your home – Kirikiri. In the court, I pleaded guilty. If I had told the judge that I am not guilty, she would grant me bail and I would go to my house. Am I right? But I told her that I am guilty. And why did I tell the judge I’m guilty? I told the judge I am guilty because…”
The interviewer cut in “because you are not intelligent”. he, however, said, “No, I am extremely intelligent, I am smart, and you can’t tell me I’m not intelligent.”
He continued, “See, what I have noticed about Nigerians is that Nigerians don’t like the truth. But the reason why I pleaded guilty was because I am in the video, I was the one spraying money. In the video is Bob. So I believed that when I tell the judge the truth, in court you go in there and speak the truth.
“Sometimes, the truth sets you free, sometimes it does not set you free. But I don’t care whether mine is going to set me free.
“But I felt like even my lawyer, they told me when I was at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detention that when you get to the court, tell them (judge) you are not guilty. But I looked at it and I’m like I am the one spraying money and I did not know that spraying of money could lead to prison or they will arrest you for spraying of money.
“But you know what, let me speak the truth to my Lord, whether my Lord is man or a woman, I really don’t care, I will tell the truth.”
“It is now left for my Lord to decide whether I will be given option of fine, community service or anything,” he explained, adding that the judge chose “to sentence Bobrisky to prison and it is okay by me”.
Denying that he is a convict, Bobrisky insisted that he did not commit any crime.
He lamented that the court sent to prison where killers, rapists, kidnappers and murderers are kept because he spent his hard-earned money which was not stolen.
He said, “I am not an ex-convict because I can’t be convicted for spraying of money. So I am not an ex-convict, I won’t accept that one. If you say ex-man, yes, I was once a man way back, I can’t even remember. But now I am a very pretty girl.
“I’m still going to spray money but I am not going to spray naira. I will spray dollars. Yes.”
Asked about his gender, Bobrisky said he should be addressed as ‘she’.
When asked whether he would like to go back to prison, she said yes and no, explained that the government wants to break his spirit.
“Not like I will want to go again, but you see, these people really want to break me. Yes. I have never seen anywhere you are going to sentence someone for spraying of money to prison.
“Do you know, see it’s funny to me. Everything happened like a movie, like am I watching Netflix or what’s going on. Spraying of money, it’s my money I’m not owing anybody money. I did not steal money, I did not kidnap, I did not rape. I did not kill anybody.
“So, I spent my own hard-earned money and I was sentenced to where we have a lot of criminals. Such as killers, kidnappers, rapists, murderers. It’s a whole lot but you see like I said I have always said this and I will continue saying it, I am a very strong person.
“So I am ready for anything that comes my way. If I have chosen this lifestyle to be who I wanna be then I should be ready for the worst. And the worst that has happened is sending me to the prison because obviously I did not do anything. I did not kill anybody and I was sentenced to prison.”
