EFCC Arrests Nigerian Popular Cross-dresser, LGBTQ member, Bobrisky In Lagos
The Nigeria’s Anti-Corruption Agency (EFCC) has ,through the agency of its spokesman, Mr Dele Oyewale confirmed the arrest of a cross-dresser, Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, popularly known as Bobrisky.
He was arrested on Wednesday evening by officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Lagos State, Nigeria.
The EFCC spokesman, Mr Oyewale said that Bobrisky has been nabbed by the agency for abusing the Nigerian naira notes, highlighting that this had nothing to do with his lifestyle as a LGBT member.
“It is true our boys arrested him yesterday evening in Lagos for naira abuse. We don’t have anything to do with his lifestyle (being a cross-dresser). He was suspected of committing an economic crime and that was the reason for his arrest,” Oyewale noted.
In recent reports, the police said it had no substantial evidence to arrest Bobrisky for participating in same-sex activities with other Nigerians or being a cross-dresser despite a series of calls from concerned citizens.
One of the citizens who have made calls on the police for Bobrisky’s arrest include Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan — where he publicly condemned the Hollywood’s issued award of Best Dressed Female to the cross-dresser.
Is the Nigeria law preventing Bobrisky’s arrest and detention for being gay or a cross-dresser?
Recently the Police Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Ademola said in an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday that cross-dressers cannot be arrested because there is no law or constitutional provision for the arrest of cross-dressers.
Mr Ademola also added that no evidence proves that Bobrisky as a cross-dressers also belongs to the LGBTQ+ community.
He said, “There are some cases that are always very difficult to prove.
“I’m not ruling out that we have many of them. Let us be reasonable, you can’t have someone you want to prosecute without having credible evidence against them. I have not read anywhere where cross-dressing is an offence in Nigeria.
“Some of them that are into cross-dressing, the allegation is that they are into something else.
“That’s where the problem lies. We need to have enough proof, credible evidence to prove that they are actually into that. All those offences are natural offences in Nigeria and they are punishable under our laws.”
The 2014 Same-sex Marriage Prohibition law under former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s administration
The Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill was signed into law in Nigeria on January 7, 2014, by then-President Goodluck Jonathan prohibits all forms of public displays of affection between same-sex persons or couples.
The law provides a 14-year jail term for anyone entering “into a same-sex marriage contract or civil union” and a 10-year sentence on individuals or groups, including religious leaders, who “witness, abet, and aid the solemnization of a same-sex marriage or union” .
This also includes a 10-year prison sentence for supporters or those “directly or indirectly make [a] public show of same-sex love relationship” and anyone who “registers, operates, or participates in gay clubs, societies, and organisations”.
