Emmanuel Oludare
The House of Representatives has summoned the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, and social media personalities Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, and influencer Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, over a bribery scandal involving N15 million.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the summons, which also includes the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), stems from allegations that Okuneye bribed EFCC officials to drop money laundering charges against him.
The Joint Committees of the House issued the summons following the circulation of a viral social media recording in which Bobrisky allegedly confessed to paying N15 million to EFCC officials to dismiss the charges.
The claims have sparked widespread outrage, with many questioning the integrity of Nigeria’s foremost anti-graft agency.
The committee’s letter, dated September 27, 2024, directed EFCC Chairman Olukoyede and the NCS Comptroller-General to appear before the House on Monday, September 30, along with all officers implicated in the scandal.
The controversy arose after Okuneye, who had been sentenced to six months in prison earlier this year for currency abuse, revealed that he served his time in a VIP facility, further raising suspicions of corruption within the correctional and law enforcement systems.
In response to the allegations, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed that Olukoyede had ordered an immediate internal investigation into the matter.
Both Bobrisky and VeryDarkMan have been invited to the EFCC’s Lagos Directorate to assist in the inquiry.
VeryDarkMan has also leveled fresh allegations against Bobrisky, claiming the cross-dresser owed him N4 million, a debt that has yet to be repaid.
In a leaked video, the influencer accused Bobrisky of bribing EFCC officials with N15 million to dismiss the money laundering charges and further alleged that Bobrisky paid N10 million to prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, and his son, musician Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, to intervene on his behalf for a pardon.
Renowned lawyer Femi Falana has denied the accusations, with his legal team threatening legal action against VeryDarkMan for defamation.
In a letter from Falana’s counsel, Taiwo Olawanle, the influencer was given 24 hours to retract the allegations and issue a public apology or face legal consequences.
Olawanle described the statements as “vicious, wicked, and reckless” and emphasized that Falana had never communicated with Bobrisky regarding any form of pardon or legal intervention.
He further stressed that while freedom of expression is protected under the constitution, it must be exercised responsibly without tarnishing another’s reputation with false claims.
“We demand an immediate retraction of the offensive and derogatory publication, as well as an apology prominently published on all platforms where the statements were disseminated,” Olawanle stated.
Failure to meet this demand, he added, would result in legal action, including seeking monetary damages for defamation.
The EFCC has launched a thorough investigation into the bribery allegations against its officials.
The audio recording, which has now gone viral, is central to the inquiry, as it allegedly captures Bobrisky confessing to bribing EFCC officers to drop the money laundering case against him.
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