The leisure business, and certainly the rustic, has been gripped through the sly allegation that arguable pass wardrobe, Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, resided in an rental moment he used to be meant to be serving a six-month sentence on the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Apapa, Lagos.
Early within the past, a arguable social media persona, Vincent Otse, popularly referred to as VeryDarkMan, had excepted a recorded accentuation name between Bobrisky and every other guy. Within the name, Bobrisky had alleged that he used to be in an rental, and that frequent rapper, Folarin Falana, aka Falz, used to be looking to backup him book a presidential mercy.
The way it began
The Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee arrested Okuneye in April on six counts of cash laundering and Naira mutilation.
He had sprayed cash on the premiere of ‘Ajakaju’, a film through actress and manufacturer, Eniola Ajao, at Movie One Circle Mall, in Lekki. At that very same match, he used to be declared the ‘best dressed female’.
All over his trial on the Federal Prime Court docket in Lagos, Justice Abimbola Awogboro sentenced Okuneye to 6 months in jail for Naira abuse, with out the choice of a fantastic, to handover as a deterrent to others who mutilate the Naira.
Okuneye started his prison time period on March 24 and resurfaced in population on August 5.
VDM arms Falz, father, EFCC, NCoS
All over the past, VDM mentioned that Falz and his father, Femi Falana (SAN) had a case to reply to for allegedly looking to book the mercy for Bobrisky.
Within the audio, a accentuation that used to be mentioned to be Bobrisky’s used to be heard telling the alternative individual at the name how the EFCC accumulated N15m from him to let fall the cash laundering price within the case constructed towards him. He additionally mentioned that he used to be taken to an rental alike to the jail the place she stayed mysterious for 6 months.
The accentuation mentioned, “On my strategy to jail, my godfather referred to as and confident me I wouldn’t input jail. He informed me to not fear and mentioned he would organize an rental related the jail and make contact with the Comptroller Common of Prisons in Abuja.
“After they spoke, I was taken back and brought to an apartment where I was told not to come out until I finished my sentence. They informed the guy at the apartment that their boss instructed them to keep me there and not to let me leave.”
New out of jail
Instantly later his go back to social media, many had voiced the opinion thar Bobrisky appeared too just right for any individual that used to be meant to had been prison for months.
To honour his sovereignty, he had even thrown a birthday celebration, in a while later which he made a put up on Instagram about how lead celebrities had contributed a complete of N18.7m to him. He indexed names reminiscent of Eniola Ajao (N6m), Funke Akindele and Tiwa Savage (N2.5m each and every), Tonto Dikeh and Moyo Lawal (N1m each and every), amongst others.
Falz responds
Falz, in a observation excepted through his father’s chambers, which represents him, answered to VDM’s allegations. He showed within the observation that Bobrisky reached out to him on Might 4 to invite for N3m to book a VIP field within the jail, however he denied giving any mode of support to him.
The ‘This is Nigeria’ rapper additionally issued a 24-hour threat to VDM to retract and apologise for the alleged defamatory statements made towards him.
Within the letter signed through his criminal recommend, Taiwo Olawanle, Falz demanded the withdrawal and retraction of the defamatory statements printed on September 25, 2024, on VeryDarkMan’s Instagram web page. Falz mentioned VDM risked a lawsuit, together with possible financial damages if he didn’t apologise throughout the mentioned time-frame.
The letter learn partially, “The direct which means, imputation, purport, and innuendo of the fraudelant, deceptive and defamatory observation is that our shopper, Mr Folarin Falana (aka Falz), conspired with Bobrisky to pervert the reason for justice for monetary features, participated in a corrupt scheme, and is deceitful in his activism.
“We, therefore, demand an immediate retraction of the offensive and derogatory publication as well as an apology prominently published on all the platforms to which you have disseminated it.”
EFCC starts investigation
The EFCC additionally ordered an investigation into the bribery allegations and invited VeryDarkMan and Bobrisky to lend a hand within the investigation.
On the other hand, VDM maintained that he didn’t defame Falz. In every other video he posted on social media, he alleged that the rapper referred to as him at the telephone, and attempted to bait him on report. He mentioned Falz will have to be suing Bobrisky (who made the declare) and no longer him. He insisted that he had not anything to apologise for and added that they might meet in court docket.
VDM afraid for his past – Attorney
VDM’s criminal consultant, Deji Adeyanju, mentioned that VDM has been at the walk from one playground to every other as he can’t progress house because of the sequence of blackmails he were receiving for the reason that controversy began.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, he mentioned, “He is moving from one place to the other, he cannot go home because of the series of threats he has been receiving but we are optimistic that he will be fine.”
Reacting to Falz’s threat, Adeyanju mentioned, “I am optimistic that learned silk (Falana SAN) would not press on the matter although VDM believes that he has not made any defamatory remarks against him. Falana is my mentor and the plan is not to go head to head with him in court. VDM has written to him and we have expressed how much we revere him. VDM is our client who we have been working for pro bono on several issues including the attempt to criminalise free speech where he has expressed himself against certain people who feel uncomfortable with his advocacy and similar issues.”
On if VDM had additional evidence to again up one of the most issues he mentioned, Adeyanju opined, “He isn’t an investigator and this is why the related government have mentioned that they’re going to examine so let’s wait and spot.
“The cross dresser is a flippant person who has spoken to so many people and VDM has those recordings. The people he made those calls to are alive, so investigations will be done. We shouldn’t be in a hurry to go ahead with the investigations. The prison has even suspended some people already, so let’s wait for the outcome of the investigation.”
Executive expresses injury, orders probes
The Space of Representatives mentioned that they’re going to start an investigation into the bribery allegations levelled towards the EFCC and the Nigerian Correctional Carrier. Their answer adopted the adoption of a movement of pressing population usefulness backed through the member representing Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom Surrounding, Patrick Umoh.
In the meantime, the Minister of Inside, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had previous ordered a radical investigation into the allegations. In a observation signed through his media aide, Alao Babatunde, the internal minister ordered a right away probe, stressing that negative mode of indiscipline can be condoned underneath his keep watch.
In a fast response, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fireplace and Immigration Services and products Board suspended two officials on the Kirikiri Medium Custodial Centre in Lagos. The officials have been suspended following Otse’s during which Okuneye claimed that later his conviction and sentencing for abuse of the naira notes in April, his godfather, in collaboration with the Controller Common of the Nigerian Correctional Carrier, organized for him to handover his six-month sentence in a personal rental.
A memo signed through the secretary of the board, Ja’afaru Ahmed, mentioned that the abeyance used to be to permit for correct investigation into the allegations towards them moment assuring that the end result can be made population when concluded.
Bobrisky’s ‘mood swings’
Amidst the controversies, Okuneye has reacted in numerous tactics, which had led to a couple X customers describing his behaviour within the closing few days as ‘mood swings’.
In a while later the scandal needy out, he had written on Instagram, “My consideration has been attracted to a faux accentuation recording circulating at the Web that I paid EFCC N15m and that I used to be by no means in jail. I didn’t pay EFCC any cash. I served my time period in complete and got here out.
“I have never thought about suicide, but now, it is coming to my head seeing what human beings are doing to their fellow human, just in the name of bringing them down by force or because you don’t like them,” he wrote.
He later went directly to delete the entire footage on his Instagram web page.
On the other hand, some days nearest, he followed a extra defiant sound. He wrote, “Please, everybody calling to inform me the risk I’m in and the plans towards me will have to reserve it now…I don’t need any blackmail to any extent further. I used to be scared as a result of the tale that EFCC will detain me once more and I can be sentenced to jail (the) 2d moment.
“God will vindicate me and for people that wish to body me up, they’ll be uncovered through the regulation. I’m able for any investigation however no longer in the similar EFCC place of job the place I used to be detained. And, any investigation will have to be detached, negative intimidation. I call for an detached and noticeable investigation for the arena to peer.
“You cannot bury me because of my social media lifestyle. Anybody can alter any audio and put it out. Best of luck. Anyone who published any audio should take responsibility for it. The fact remains that I did not publish any audio, and nothing can change that. I will meet you guys in any court this time around if you have any case against me.”
Which Bobrisky did James Brown seek advice from in jail?
Netizens had been accosting every other pass wardrobe, James Brown, over his go back and forth to the Kirikiri Correctional Centre the place he had claimed to seek advice from Bobrisky. On June 7, Brown took to Instagram to percentage footage of a seek advice from to Kirikiri and added the caption, “I went to Kirikiri prison to visit Bobrisky to know if she’s alright.”
In the meantime, a put up through Instablog9ja claimed that in keeping with a supply, James didn’t seek advice from Bobrisky. He allegedly visited an incarcerated singer named Vindicate, with whom he collaborated on a track.
In efforts to ensure the claims, Saturday Beats reached out to Brown however he asked for a decision again please see morning. In a follow-up name the upcoming morning, James Brown picked up the decision however didn’t say a unmarried assurance. He later refused to pick out up next screams.
Our correspondent additionally reached out to his sister, Gracious, who used to be with him all through the seek advice from however she asked {that a} message will have to be despatched to her Instagram account, mentioning that her supervisor would whisk it up from there.