A popular cross-dresser, Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, popularly known as Bobrisky, was arrested on Wednesday evening by personnel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Lagos State.
Jerrymusa.com reports that the agency’s spokesperson, Mr. Dele Oyewale, confirmed this on Thursday morning.
Bobrisky was detained, according to an EFCC spokeswoman, for cutting up naira bills, not because he was a cross-dresser.
“It’s true that our boys detained him for abusing naira in Lagos yesterday evening. We are unrelated to his way of life (he is a transvestite).
“The basis for his detention was that he was accused of committing an economic crime, according to Oyewale.”
Bobrisky was only arrested a day after the Nigeria Police Force said there wasn’t enough evidence to hold him for having sex with another person.
Despite requests for the crossdresser’s arrest, the Nigeria Police Force announced on Tuesday that it was unable to apprehend Bobrisky.
Bobrisky’s arrest has been demanded, particularly after blogger and social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, criticised the cross-dresser for winning Best Dressed Female at a Nollywood event in recent videos.
Nigerian Law And Cross-Dressing
“However, because cross-dressing is not illegal in Nigeria, Force Public Relations Officer Olumuyiwa Ademola told Channels TV on Tuesday that cross-dressers cannot be arrested.
“He added that there is no proof to back up the idea that those who cross-dress are also members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“There are certain cases that are always very difficult to prove,” he stated.
“It’s not ruled out that there are a lot of them. Let’s be realistic: you cannot have someone you wish to charge without having solid proof. I’ve not read anywhere where cross-dressing is an offence in Nigeria.
“It is alleged that some of the people who enjoy cross-dressing are into something else.
“That is the source of the issue. To demonstrate that they are sincere in their interest, we must have sufficient and reliable proof. In Nigeria, all of the above offences are considered natural crimes and are subject to legal punishment.”
On January 7, 2014, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill into law.
Public demonstrations of affection between same-sex couples are prohibited by law.
Anyone who “enters into a same-sex marriage contract or civil union” faces a 14-year prison sentence under the statute. It also punishes people or organisations—including religious leaders—for ten years if they “witness, abet, and aid the solemnization of a same-sex marriage or union.”
Anybody who “registers, operates, or participates in gay clubs, societies, and organisations,” including those who support such groups, faces a 10-year prison sentence. Additionally, anyone who “directly or indirectly makes [a] public show of [a] same-sex amorous relationship” is susceptible to prosecution.