This was confirmed by the agency’s spokesman, Mr. Dele Oyewale, in a telephone conversation with SaharaReporters on Thursday morning.
According to the EFCC spokesman, Bobrisky was arrested for the mutilation of naira notes and not for his lifestyle as a cross-dresser. this was further confirmed by a post by EFFCC stating the reason for the arrest
“It is true that our boys arrested him yesterday evening in Lagos for naira abuse. We don’t have anything to do with his lifestyle (being a cross-dresser). He was suspected of committing an economic crime, and that was the reason for his arrest,” Oyewale explained.
Bobrisky’s arrest comes barely 24 hours after the Nigeria Police Force stated that it lacked enough evidence to arrest him for same-sex activities.
The Nigeria Police Force said on Tuesday it could not arrest Bobrisky over calls to arrest the crossdresser.
There have been calls for Bobrisky’s arrest, especially after social media influencer and blogger Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in recent videos condemned the award of Best Dressed Female to the cross-dresser at a Nollywood event.
However, because cross-dressing is not illegal in Nigeria, according to Force Public Relations Officer Olumuyiwa Ademola, cross-dressers cannot be arrested.
He also said there is no evidence to support claims that cross-dressers also belong to the LGBTQ+ community.
He said, “There are some cases that are always very difficult to prove.
“I’m not ruling out the fact that we have many of them. Let us be reasonable; you can’t have someone you want to prosecute without having credible evidence against them. I have not read anywhere where cross-dressing is an offence in Nigeria.
“Some of them are into cross-dressing; the allegation is that they are into something else.
“That’s where the problem lies. We need to have enough proof—credible evidence—to prove that they are actually into that. All those offences are natural offences in Nigeria, and they are punishable under our laws.”
The Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill was signed into law in Nigeria on January 7, 2014, by then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
The law criminalises public displays of affection between same-sex couples.
The law imposes a 14-year prison sentence on anyone who “enters into a same-sex marriage contract or civil union.”. It also imposes a 10-year sentence on individuals or groups, including religious leaders, who “witness, abet, and aid the solemnization of a same-sex marriage or union.”
In addition to anyone who “registers, operates, or participates in gay clubs, societies, and organizations,” including those who support those groups, it imposes a 10-year prison sentence on those who “directly or indirectly make [a] public show of [a] same-sex amorous relationship.”
At Gallerypedia Info, we are your foremost news galleria, bringing you up-to-date news ranging from politics, sports, entertainment, and more.