Bobrisky Challenges Sentence over Naira Mutilation, Asks Court to Reduce Jail Term

•Pleads to pay N50,000 fine as option instead

Wale Igbintade

Controversial cross-dresser/transgender, Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, has appealed against his sentence for abusing and mutilating the Naira.

Bobrisky, in his Notice of Appeal, filed by his lawyer, Bimbo Kusanu, prayed the court to set aside the six months maximum imprisonment sentence imposed on him and in its place impose fine of N50, 000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) on each of the counts against him.

Justice Abimbola Awogboro, of the Federal High Court, in Lagos, had sentenced Bobrisky, to six months imprisonment without an option of fine for abusing Nigerian currency.

The judge, while sentencing him, said the judgment should be a deterrent to others fond of abusing and mutilating the Naira.

Bobrisky pleaded guilty to a four-count charge of abuse of the naira preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at a Lagos court.

However, in his Notice of Appeal, he stated  that the trial Court imposed the maximum sentence on him even though he had no previous record of criminal conviction, and when there were options to impose a lesser sentence by the provisions of the ADCJA.

He averred that the sentence imposed by the trial court against him was punitive contrary to the mandatory provisions of the Law (ADCJA) on sentencing.

He stated that the trial Court did not consider the positive antecedent of the Appellant, who did not waste the precious judicial resources of the trial Court when he pleaded guilty to the Charge.

He stated that the Appellant honoured the invitation of the Respondent – Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the first invitation during the investigation leading to the charge

To this end, he urged the court to set aside the 6 months maximum imprisonment sentence imposed on him and in its place impose fine of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) on each of the counts against the Appellant.