Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye, a well-known Nigerian personality who goes by the stage name Bobrisky, has been sentenced to six months in prison without the possibility of a fine for defacing the Nigerian currency, the naira.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Lagos Federal High Court delivered the verdict, aiming to deter others from similar acts of disrespect towards the national currency.
Prior to sentencing, the judge inquired about Bobrisky's gender, to which he promptly identified as male.
He will serve his time at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.
The judge's ruling stipulated that the sentence would begin on March 24, 2024, coinciding with Bobrisky's arrest date.
The conviction came after he pleaded guilty to four counts of naira abuse pressed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in April.
The charges detailed specific instances where Bobrisky "tampered with" naira notes by throwing them around while dancing at social events.
The incidents occurred in March 2024, sometime between July and August 2023, December 2023, and another instance in 2022.
The total sum of money involved across these events amounted to N590,000 (five hundred and ninety thousand naira).
The counts against him read: “that you, Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, on the 24th day of March 2024, at Imax Circle Mall, Jakande, Lekki, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social event tampered with the total sum of N400,000.00 (four hundred thousand naira) notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.
“That you, Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, between July and August 2023 at Aja Junction, lkorodu, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social event tampered with the sum N50, 000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.
“That you, Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, sometimes in December 2023 at White Steve Event Hall, Ikeja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social event tampered with the sum N20,000.00 (twenty thousand naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.
“That you, Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, sometimes in 2022 at Event Hall, Oniru, Victory Island, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social event tampered with the sum N20,000.00 (twenty thousand naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.”
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