News

Court Convicts Bobrisky of Naira Abuse, Fixes April 9 for Sentencing

Published

6 months ago

April 5, 2024

Eric

The Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed April 9 to sentence controversial cross-dresser and social media celebrity, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky.

Justice Abimbola Awogboro reserved the date for his judgment after Bobrisky pleaded guilty to a four-count charge of Naira abuse brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The judge ordered that the convict be remanded in EFCC custody pending sentence.

The court called the case at exactly 11:55am with Mr. Sulaiman Sulaiman announcing appearing for the EFCC while Mr. Ayo Olumofin represented the defendant.

Justice Awogboro then directed Bobrisky to unveil his face which was covered with a black hijab. He complied.

The EFCC had filed a 6 count charge against Bobrisky. The first 4 counts of the charge bordered on abuse of the Naira while the last two counts border on alleged money laundering.

But before the charge was read to the defendant, the EFCC prosecutor, Sulaiman asked the court to strike out counts five and six.

He said, “We have an agreement with the defendant which will lead us to withdraw counts 5 and 6. In the circumstance, we’re humbly urging the court to strike out counts 5 and 6, leaving counts 1 to 4 alive”.

Justice Awogboro granted his request and subsequently struck out the two counts and ordered that the four-count charge be read to the defendant.

Bobrisky pleaded guilty to each of the four counts.

When the registrar asked if he understood the charge that was read to him, he said, ” Yes, I am guilty”.

The EFCC prosecutor then proceeded to review the facts of the case. He called an EFCC Assistant Superintendent, Mr. Bolaji Temitope, as his witness.

Prompted by the prosecution, the witness explained how he came to know Bobrisky.

Temitope said: “The EFCC received intelligence of individuals who are in the habit of spraying Naira during parties in Lagos. Base on this, the EFCC sent out an operation team to monitor and observe the activities of individuals who are in the habit of doing so.

“We usually visit event centres and monitor social media pages to determine where the Naira is being abused.

“During the exercise we came across videos on social media where the defendant was seen abusing the Naira.

“Our team then proceeded to view the video and burn same on CD.

“Consequently, an invitation letter was forwarded to the defendant. When he honoured the invitation. The defendant was shown a video where he was spraying money on Segun Johnson. He confirmed that he was the one in the video.

“An event at the Island circle mall was also shown to the defendant. A total of 400k was spent.

“The defendant was also shown another video in Aja Junction, Ikorodu and an event centre at Ikeja. He admitted spraying money in all the videos.

“He then offered his statement in writing.

The prosecutor then tendered the statement and videos. There was no objection from the defence team.

The court admitted them as exhibits and marked them Exhibits 1 and 2 respectively.

“That is the case of the prosecution and we pray the defendant be convicted as charged, my lord,” the prosecutor told the judge.

In a bench ruling, Justice Awogboro held: “The defendant is convicted as charged”.

But Bobrisky pleaded for mercy, saying he was not aware of the law on abusing the Naira.

The judge then told him that ignorance of the law was not an excuse to which Bobrisky replied,” I know my lord.”

He further said to the judge, “My lord I wish that you can give me a second chance to use my platform to inform and educate my followers about spraying money”.

“I’m a social media influencer with over five million followers. I would do a video on my page and I will educate people about spraying money.

“I will not repeat it again my lord, I regret my actions my lord. I’m a first-time offender.”

His lawyer added that he had turned a new leaf and urged the judge to grant Bobrisky a non-custodial sentence and an option of a fine.

Justice Awogboro has adjourned sentencing till April 9.

With the conviction, Bobrisky could either serve six months in prison, pay a fine of N50,000 or do both.

Section 21 (1) of the CBN Act 2007 states that “a person who tampers with a coin or note issued by the Bank is guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable for imprisonment for a term not less that six months or to a fine not less that N50,000 or to both such fine and imprisonment.”

News

Court Bars PDP NEC, BoT from Removing Damagun as Acting National Chair

Published

1 day ago

October 11, 2024

Eric

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from removing Umar Damagum as the acting National Chairman of the party.

The court ordered that no other person must be recognised as PDP national chairman other than Damagum until the national convention of the party scheduled for December next year.

Justice Lifu issued the restraining order against the PDP NEC, BoT, and others while delivering judgment in a suit instituted against them by Senator Umar El-Gash Maina.

The judge held that in line with Articles 42, 47, and 67 of PDP, it is only at the national convention of the party that national officers can be elected.

In the suit, Justice Lifu said that PDP members are bound by the constitution of the party and as such must always act in line with the provisions and obedience to the party’s law

The plaintiff, who claimed to be chairman of PDP in Yobe State, had instituted the suit against PDP and eight others alleging that some stakeholders of the party have been holding clandestine meetings to forcefully remove Damagum from office in gross violation of the party’s constitution.

He said that a former deputy governor of Kogi State, Phillip Salawu, was being pushed forward as a replacement for Damagun by the stakeholders.

Maina claimed that upon becoming aware of the plan, two separate letters complaining against the clandestine meetings were delivered to the national secretary of the party, Samuel Anyanwu, and that despite the acknowledgment of the two letters, the national secretary and BoT members have never deemed it fit to act on the letters and their claims.

In the suit instituted on his behalf by Joshua Musa who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the plaintiff therefore prayed the court to invoke articles 45, 47, and 67 of the PDP Constitution to stop the move to replace Damagum as the acting national chairman.

The plaintiff specifically asked the court to declare that the national chairmanship of the PDP is rotated between the north and south regions and not through any other procedure not enshrined in the PDP’s Constitution.

In his judgment after perusing the PDP’s Constitution and exhibits, Justice Lifu agreed with the plaintiff that Damagum can only be replaced at the national convention of PDP or through an order of a court.

Justice Lifu also held that any attempt to truncate the un-exhausted four-year tenure of the northern region without the national convention of the party would amount to an affront to the Constitution of the PDP.

Earlier, the judge had dismissed the opposition of the defendants to the suit on the grounds that the plaintiff had no locus standi to bring out the case and that the court lacked jurisdiction.

Justice Lifu held that the plaintiff predicated his suit on the protection of the PDP Constitution from being violated and the northern region where he hailed from being shortchanged from the four-year tenure.

Justice Lifu said that the plaintiff having displayed his PDP membership card before the court and having raised the fundamental issue of protection of PDP’s Constitution had sufficient interest and justiciable cause to institute the case.

News

PDP Suspends Acting Chairman, Damagum, Sec, Anyanwu for Anti-Party Activities

Published

2 days ago

October 11, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended its Acting National Chairman, Amb Illiya Umar Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, for anti-party activities.

The party revealed its decision to suspend the duo in a press statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, and made available to The Boss Newspaper.

The statement noted that the Acting National Chairman, who has been facing legitimacy crisis, and his Secretary, were found culpable with regard to the “letter addressed by them to the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/PH/307/2024 against the Party’s position in the case involving the 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who vacated their seats upon decamping from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

While condemning the act, the party invoked Sections 57, 58 and 59 of the PDP Constitution, and suspended the officers, referring them to the National Disciplinary Committee.

The two officers are therefore, barred from attending the NWC’s meetings, activities and programmes, according to the statement.

Read the statement in full:

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP has extensively considered the series of complaints raised against the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Illiya Damagum and National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu particularly with regard to the letter addressed by them to the Court of Appeal in Appeal No:CA/PH/307/2024 against the Party’s position in the case involving the 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who vacated their seats upon decamping from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The NWC condemned this anti-party activity of the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary which is in gross violation of the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) and their Oath of Office.

Consequently, the NWC, pursuant to Sections 57, 58 and 59 of the PDP Constitution, has suspended Amb. Illiya Damagum and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party respectively and referred them to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action.

In the meantime, the two officials are suspended from all meetings, activities and programs of the NWC pending the conclusion of investigation by the National Disciplinary Committee.

News

Fubara Suffers Setback As Appeal Court Recognises Amaehwule-led Assembly

Published

2 days ago

October 10, 2024

Eric

The Court of Appeal has upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court, affirming Martins Amaehwule as the rightful Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Recall that the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, had challenged the judgement of Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja, which affirmed Amaehwule’s leadership.

This ruling is a victory for the camp of former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who has been at odds with Governor Fubara.

Governor Fubara has also been ordered to re-present the 2024 budget to the Amaehwule-led House of Assembly.