On Monday, Bilikisu Bala, a prosecutor from the EFCC, informed a Joint Committee of the House of Representatives that the decision to drop money laundering charges against Idris Okuneye (also known as Bobrisky) was lawful and aligned with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
The committee is looking into allegations of corruption involving some EFCC and Nigeria Correctional Service officers.
Among those called to testify are Ben Freedman, the Comptroller of Corrections for Lagos Command; Ja’afaru Ahmed, the board secretary; and the Deputy Comptrollers of Corrections responsible for medium and maximum security, Siriku Adekunle and Michael Anugwa.
Bobrisky had claimed in a leaked audio, shared by social media influencer VDM (Martins Otse), that he bribed some unnamed EFCC officials with N15 million to have the charges against him dropped.
In April, Bobrisky was arrested for money laundering and Naira mutilation. During his trial at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Judge Abimbola Awogboro dismissed the money laundering charges but sentenced him to six months in prison for abusing the Naira.
In a letter on Friday, the committee summoned the EFCC chairperson and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service to appear on Monday, along with all relevant officers involved in the case.
Bobrisky, the focal point of the case, did not attend the hearing. His lawyer represented him, stating that his client was ill, but lawmakers questioned why no medical documentation was provided to verify this claim.
According to the EFCC’s statement, Ms. Bala, who led the prosecution in Bobrisky’s case, explained that the charges were dropped based on a disclosure from the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), indicating that Okuneye’s business, Bob Express, was not classified as a Designated Non-Financial Institution (DNFI) and therefore could not be prosecuted for violating the Money Laundering Prevention & Prohibition Act of 2022.
Bala elaborated, stating, “We initially filed six charges related to Naira abuse and money laundering based on Okuneye’s confession that his firm was not registered with SCUML. Counts 1-4 pertained to Naira abuse, while counts five and six concerned money laundering. However, after contacting SCUML and receiving confirmation that the firm was not a DNFI, we could not legally sustain the money laundering charges and chose to drop them, focusing instead on the four counts of Naira mutilation to which Okuneye pleaded guilty.”
The prosecutor refuted allegations of bribery against EFCC officials, asserting that such claims were unfounded. She emphasized, “The ACJA permits charge amendments as a standard practice. It’s absurd to suggest our decision was influenced by financial motives. We sought SCUML’s guidance to ensure our actions were lawful, and their response indicated no legal breach, leaving no basis to maintain the money laundering charges.”
Ms. Bala, accompanied by senior EFCC management, urged the committee to thoroughly investigate the issues raised against the EFCC and publish its findings for the sake of justice.
Michael Nzekwe, Chief of Staff to the EFCC’s Chairman, who represented Ola Olukoyede, reiterated the commission’s commitment to the integrity of its personnel. “We take the bribery allegations against our officers very seriously. Integrity is one of our core values, which is why we are here to present all the facts regarding Okuneye’s trial to the public,” he stated.
