"Nigerians help me; EFCC just arrested me. I am badly injured."
More trouble for controversial crossdresser Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky, as he was removed from an Amsterdam-bound KLM flight at Lagos's Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Thursday night.
This marks the second time in October that the crossdresser has been intercepted while attempting to leave the country. On 22 October, Bobrisky was stopped at the Sème border while allegedly trying to flee Nigeria.
The crossdresser, confirmed to be in detention at the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), was brought back into the spotlight when socialite Isaac Fayose, brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, posted an Instagram photo on Thursday of himself with Bobrisky on board the flight.
"Look who's on the same flight with me to London, @Bobrisky222," Fayose posted, surprised at meeting the crossdresser en route to London.
Shortly after boarding, however, a trending video showed security officials intercepting Bobrisky and dragging him off the plane in full view of the passengers.
The dramatic removal reportedly delayed the flight, with some passengers on X claiming they were unaware of the cause until Bobrisky was led out.
Looks like Bobrisky has been taken off our flight o. Nobody just know wetin Dey happen. Can we depart already? Drama 🤷🏼♂️-- Dr. Kelechi Anyikude (@KelechiAFC) October 31, 2024
Following the incident, Bobrisky, in a series of Instagram stories, shared his ordeal, alleging that he had been detained and manhandled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The controversial social media personality wrote, "Nigerians help me; EFCC just arrested me. I am badly injured," he wrote, sharing images that appeared to show red and black bruises on his wrist and arm.
The EFCC has yet to react to the issue as of press time.
Background
Bobrisky's legal troubles began in April 2024 when he was sentenced to six months in prison by the Federal High Court in Lagos for Naira abuse. Although he was officially incarcerated at Kirikiri Prison, reports later emerged that he spent only three weeks there before being discreetly moved to a private location.
In September, social media influencer VeryDarkMan (VDM) leaked an audio recording alleging that the crossdresser received preferential treatment facilitated by a ₦15 million bribe paid to officials. In the recording, Bobrisky purportedly claimed that music artist Falz and his father, human rights lawyer Femi Falana, had approached him during his imprisonment, requesting ₦10 million for a presidential pardon.
In response, the Falanas issued a cease-and-desist letter on 16 October, demanding a retraction and public apology for what they described as defamatory statements. Bobrisky denied making these claims, asserting that he was not responsible for the leaked content and urging the Falanas to hold VDM accountable instead.
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Further complicating matters, an investigative panel recently stated that no evidence confirmed Bobrisky served any time outside the prison facility. He dismissed the leaked recording as "fake" and vowed to sue VDM.
Bobrisky remains under investigation by the EFCC, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), and a committee from the House of Representatives. He was summoned for questioning following VDM's revelations but failed to appear, citing health reasons.
