News

Bobrisky, VDM, Falz And Our Very Dark End (1) [OPINION]

Published

10 months ago

October 11, 2024

Editor

Tunde Odesola

I’m no Catholic but I wish to make a confession. The headline of this article should have been one of these two: “Bobrisky: The beauty and the beast” or “Bobrisky: The lion and the jewel.” I prefer the first headline to the second for the simple reason that nothing is jewelling about the ongoing Bobrisky saga, though I can’t ever get tired of reading Wole Soyinka’s fourth play written in 1959 after ‘The Invention’ (1957), ‘The Swamp Dwellers’ (1958), and ‘A Quality of Violence’ (1959). However, I ran with the headline of this article because of its encompassing nature. Only journalists will understand.

Simply put, the tripodal tango among Baroka; the Lion, Sidi; the Jewel, and Lakunle; the Semi-illiterate teacher, mirrors the interplay between tradition and modernisation just as the Bobrisky prison saga underscores the effects of corruption, misgovernance and social media on a decadent society.

Do you love to explore wildlife? Come with me, then.

Gold is the mane on his head. So are his weapons of death. Those unlucky to come across him on the day the road is famished never lived to tell the story. They carry to Alákejí, the land of the dead, telltale signs of the king’s deadly weaponry on their mutilated necks, torsos and faces.

By virtue of hailing from the lineage of fearless hunters who fought in the Kiriji War at Ìgbájo, the citadel of the brave, I understand the language of wildlife but I don’t flaunt my mystical powers over the lords of the wild, because self-preservation is the first law of the jungle.

I say to you, there’s no other beast bejewelled with gold like the lion; gold mane, gold teeth, gold claws, gold eyes and gold skin. Out of respect, I won’t engage in tangling toe-to-toe and eyeball-to-eyeball with a lion. Verily, I say unto you, the fearsome majesty and golden nature of the lion could only have been forged in the furnace of bestiality.

May it not be your portion to come face-to-face with the golden beast, whom many Africans erroneously call the king of the jungle, because its striped big brother, the tiger, is not native to our land. But wildlife experts have, time and again, proved that the tiger is stronger than the lion.

Between February and September, this year, there has been two reported cases of lion attacks on humans in Nigeria, both resulting in death. The first tragedy was at the zoo of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where a seasoned veterinary technologist, Mr Bode Olawuyi, was mauled by a lion while the latest fatality occurred at the zoo of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, where a zookeeper, Babaji Daule, was killed by another golden beast.

Losing two lives to lions within seven months raises eyebrows over zoo management in the country, because both attacks were the outcomes of human errors – Man forgot to cinch the dens’ locks. Potentially, more human lives could have been lost in both attacks. While I sympathise with the families of both victims and pray for the repose of their souls, it behoves regulatory institutions to have a look at wildlife handling across the country.

But it’s not only Olawuyi and Daule who are victims, the lions are victims, too. Though human life is considered worthier than lion life, the two lions that attacked Olawuyi and Daule respectively were only acting true to their God-endowed DNA. Sadly, however, they got killed for being what they were created to be. Their death is like killing a dog for barking or a cock for crowing.

Because of their genetic code, lions cannot feel guilt for killing because they’re born to kill. Domestication can’t remove the lion in lions. Stretching the argument a little further, what Man calls natural disasters – flooding, erosion, famine, wildfires etc – are essentially man-made. Man, therefore, needs to look in the mirror.

At birth, his parents christened him Olanrewaju Idris Okuneye. That was 33 years ago. When he underwent remodelling, however, he took a risk, picked a new name, Bobrisky, and bided his time before adding an alias, “Mummy of Lagos”, to the new name while a decadent society applauded.

With a steady stream of clientele, life as a retooled piece of work was good for former Mr Olanrewaju Idris Okuneye. So, he upped the scale by desiring enhanced boobs and booty but never got the guts to replace his dangler with a slit. That was why he identified as a man when he came before Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, during his arraignment and conviction for naira abuse on April 12, 2024.

In the eyes of the law, the self-acclaimed Mummy of Lagos is either a Daddy or a Zaddy. And because he’s physiologically and confessionally a male, the lie by prison officials about their purported confusion over which jail, male or female, to put Bobrisky into, is brainless.

As I said in an earlier article on Bobrisky, it would not be utterly wrong for Bobrisky, a man, to go into a female restroom on account of his identification as a female, because he would pose a threat to biological females. Bobrisky and his ilk are in the minority. Therefore, when using a public bathroom, his right to freely identify as a woman should be subsumed under the right of biological females who are in the majority, and who would naturally frown on a man sharing the same bathroom with them.

In Africa, particularly Nigeria, names mostly embody the ancestries, births or characters of the bearers. Names have meaningful meanings. From the get-go, the risk in Bobrisky’s name was never in doubt as Idris, like a rolling stone, has moved from one controversy to another since he identified as a female.

Freed on August 5, 2024, after serving time for naira abuse, Bobrisky landed in another hot soup in September 2024, after he claimed in a leaked phone call that he didn’t serve his six-month sentence in jail and that his anonymous godfather paid the EFCC N15 million to drop the money laundering charges against him.

Like the cases of the lion attacks in Ife and Abeokuta, which have different layers of victims, the ongoing Bobrisky saga also has different layers of victims. I shall come to that later.

In the phone call, Bobrisky, an adult male born with Adam’s apple aka gògògóngò, which the Yoruba believe to be the stopper that keeps the secrets brimming in a man’s belly from spilling out of his mouth, spewed the secrets of the clandestine favour wrought by his godfather, like a four-year-old showing off her new doll to her playmates.

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: The Bile In Oshiomhole’s Heart

In the leaked phone call, which contains actionable innuendos, a voice purported to be Bobrisky’s spoke after social media influencer, Martins Otse, popularly known as Verydarkblackman, spoke. Otse, widely called VDM, said in his opening remarks, “Alright, in respect to Bobrisky, what I’m about to post now, a lot of name (sic) would be mentioned, these are people that I also respect and I believe a lot of Nigerians respect them as well. I am very, very disappointed in the agencies that are involved in this, and I believe that this call recording that I’m about to play, even Bobrisky will not expect it (chuckles). That is what is crazy.

“But all the people that would be mentioned, I don’t care, you understand, I don’t care, and from today, no longer respect for all of you, you understand, because all of una na di same, and it’s pretty obvious that in Nigeria, the law only work (sic) against the poor people, you understand. Now after this video, I would expect that the EFCC would do a deep investigation on everybody that is involved in this case, and also they would bring the whole officers that participated in this and collected and spent this money that is involved. Thank you very much.”

Narrating his prison ordeal in the phone call, the voice of Bobrisky which comes after VDM’s says, “You know, I’m a very big influencer, I have over five million followers on my Instagram. So, my Facebook, and they are paying me on my Facebook every month. So, I’m ok. So, they (EFCC) were like all those money cannot still make me buy house of N450 million house in Pinnock and where I’m staying in Chevron, blablabla…, they come with money laundering sha, they charge me to court. When they charged me to court, we had to beg them that ok, if they want to remove the money laundering, how much would they collect? They said we should go and bring N15 million, that they would remove the money laundering…”

To be continued

News

Church Of Nigeria Formally Cuts Ties With Wales Over Lesbian Archbishop

Published

5 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has officially cut all ties with the Church in Wales following the appointment of Bishop Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the 15th Archbishop of Wales.

The decision was announced by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, who described the development as ‘an abomination’ and a serious departure from biblical truth.

The announcement came during the opening session of the 14th Church of Nigeria Conference of Chancellors, Registrars and Legal Officers, held on Tuesday at the Church’s national secretariat in Abuja.

With the theme ‘Called as a Watchman’, the event brought together legal minds from across the Church to discuss matters of doctrinal integrity, justice, and governance.

Primate Ndukuba delivered the keynote address titled ‘The Decade of the Reign of God: Progress, Challenges, and Prospects.’

Reacting to the Church in Wales’ elevation of a lesbian bishop, the Primate said, “We reject the election of the Right Reverend Cherry Vann as the Archbishop of Wales.”

He compared it to the 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson in the Episcopal Church (USA), which had also led to Nigeria severing ties with that province.

“Just as the Church of Nigeria took steps after the election of Gene Robinson in the United States, we are severing every tie and relationship with the Church of Wales,” he said.

Primate Ndukuba also criticised what he described as the growing influence of revisionist teachings within sections of the Western Church.

“These individuals have not relented from their evil agenda; rather, they have intensified it. What they call their wisdom and culture is an abomination to God,” he declared.

Despite cutting formal ties with the Church in Wales, the Church of Nigeria reaffirmed its support for orthodox Anglicans in the region through platforms such as the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).

“We pray that the Church of God in Wales will rise up, and that the faithful among them will stand strong. We, the Church of Nigeria, alongside GAFCON, will stand with them,” Ndukuba assured.

Looking ahead, the Primate said the Church of Nigeria plans to expand its global mission, with new registrations underway in countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland.

“We feel that the Lord is calling us back to Europe for mission,” he said.

The Primate also used the opportunity to highlight the Church’s ongoing contributions to the GAFCON movement.

He revealed that the Church of Nigeria had recently contributed $2.5 million to the GAFCON Endowment Fund and was planning a local Nigerian GAFCON Endowment worth $2.3 million to support orthodox Anglican work and mission.

On constitutional and legal matters, Ndukuba urged legal officers to strengthen the Church’s internal reforms and national engagement.

“You are to understand yourselves to be watchmen for the Church. You defend the Church against all forms of aggression. As modern-day watchmen, we must first listen to God, then speak His truth in love, knowing our duty lies in obedience,” he said, calling on legal professionals to support the Church’s constitutional review and advocate for a new Nigerian constitution.

News

EFCC Arraigns Six Katsina Revenue, Bank Workers Over N1.2bn Fraud

Published

5 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday arraigned five officials of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue and a staff of First Bank over an alleged N1.2 billion fraud.

The accused were brought before Justice Musa Danladi of the Katsina State High Court by the Commission’s Kano Zonal Directorate on a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy and diversion of public funds.

According to the anti-graft agency in a statement on Wednesday, the total sum allegedly diverted is N1,235,330,000, said to be tax remittances from the World Health Organization, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the Alliance for International Medical Action, which were due to the Katsina State Government.

The defendants, Nura Lawal, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim Mamman, Abubakar Saidu, Rabiu Adamu Abdullahi, and Adam Alhassan Albashir, a Public Sector Relationship Manager with First Bank, were all docked and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

One of the charges reads:
“That you Nura Lawal, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim Mamman, Abubakar Saidu, Rabiu Adamu Abdullahi and Adam Alhassan Albashir between January, 2022 to August, 2024 at Katsina within the jurisdiction of the Katsina State High Court, being staff of Board of Internal Revenue Services (BOIRS), Katsina and Public Sector Relationship Manager of First Bank, in such capacity conspired among yourselves to commit an unlawful act to wit: unlawfully converted to your personal uses the tax payments meant for the Katsina State Government and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 58 of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State and punishable under Section 298 of the Same Law.”

After their plea, prosecution counsel Musa Isah urged the court to fix a trial date to enable the Commission prove its case.

However, the defence counsels filed separate bail applications for the six defendants, requesting their release pending trial. Isah opposed the applications.

Justice Danladi, after listening to both sides, granted bail to each defendant in the sum of N5m with one reliable surety resident within the court’s jurisdiction.

The Judge said surety must possess verifiable landed property, with the title documents to be verified by the court registrar.

The case was adjourned to October 27, 2025, for the commencement of trial.

According to EFCC investigations, Rabiu Abdullahi, a former Director of Collections and current Permanent Secretary of the Board, allegedly authorised the opening of an account named “BOIRS” with Sterling Bank. Sanusi Mohammed Yaro and Ibrahim Mamman were appointed as the sole signatories.

The commission said the account became the main channel for funnelling the diverted funds to NADIKKO General Suppliers, a company allegedly owned and controlled by Nura Lawal, an Assistant Director in the Career Skills/Staff Welfare unit of the Board.

EFCC findings also showed that NADIKKO and Lawal served as key conduits in laundering the proceeds, which were traced to multiple bank accounts linked to the suspects.

News

FG Urges Nigerians Abroad To Register With Embassies For Emergency Support

Published

5 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government has called on Nigerians travelling abroad to register with Nigerian embassies and consulates in their host countries to enable timely intervention during emergencies.

The appeal was made by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Ahmed, during a meeting with the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria, led by its Chairman, Idehai Frederick, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to DICAN, Amb. Ahmed stressed the importance of informing Nigerian missions upon arrival in foreign countries, rather than waiting until problems arise.

“I advise Nigerians to make it a point of duty to make their presence known to the Nigerian mission in the country they’re visiting.

“This simple step can help prevent misunderstandings and ensure that Nigerians receive the support they need in times of crisis.

“There was a recent case of Nigerians trapped in the Central African Republic, where some Nigerians tried to give the Ministry a bad name,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary highlighted the role of timely and accurate information in managing crises and emphasised the need for closer collaboration with media organisations like DICAN to combat misinformation.

“Most of the time, giving the necessary information before they even ask for information is crucial in managing crises effectively.

“We are saddled with the role of laundering the image of the country. Hence, the inevitability of a strengthened partnership between DICAN and the Ministry,” Perm. Sec. noted.

He underscored the significance of disseminating accurate narratives about Nigeria’s foreign policy, particularly in the face of growing disinformation.

Ambassador Ahmed also commended DICAN for hosting the maiden Diplomatic and Security International Conference, which brought together about 70 diplomats, security experts, academics, and representatives of civil society to discuss strategies for global safety and peace.

In appreciation of the Ministry’s cooperation, DICAN Chairman said, “The Permanent Secretary has shown commitment to working with DICAN, and we appreciate his efforts in promoting a positive image of Nigeria.”