Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky, has taken legal action to contest the six-month prison sentence handed down to him by the Federal High Court in Lagos. His appeal seeks to replace the imprisonment with a fine of N200,000.
Represented by his lawyer, Bimbo Kusanu, Bobrisky filed the appeal, urging the Court of Appeal to reconsider the trial court’s decision and reduce the sentence to a N50,000 fine for each of the four counts he was found guilty of.
The sentence, imposed by Justice Abimbola Awogboro on April 12, 2024, stemmed from Bobrisky’s admission of guilt to four counts of abusing the naira during a party, leading to its damage. The charges were filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on April 5, 2024.
In his appeal, Bobrisky argues that the trial court’s ruling was excessively punitive, particularly in light of his clean criminal record. He asserts that the court overlooked mitigating factors such as his cooperation during the investigation and his plea of guilty, which spared the judicial system unnecessary proceedings.
Bobrisky’s legal team contends that the imposition of the maximum penalty without the option of a fine contradicted the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act of 2015. They argue that the trial court failed to exercise proper discretion, resulting in a miscarriage of justice against Bobrisky.
The cross-dresser maintains that the trial court’s rationale, particularly regarding the perception of naira abuse by foreigners, was flawed and disconnected from the actual circumstances of the case. He asserts that the primary objective of the Central Bank Act 2007, under which he was charged, is to deter Nigerians from tampering with the naira, not to align with the perspectives of foreign nationals.
