The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reacted to the circulating story alleging it has dropped money laundering charges with charge No: FHC/L/244c/2024 against popular Nigerian social media personality, Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky.
The Commission made this known during a presentation by Ola Olukoyede, the EFCC Chairman, to the Joint House Committee on the Investigation of Disturbing Allegations of Corruption Against the EFCC and the Nigerian Correctional Service on Monday, during which he addressed the controversy surrounding the case and responded to allegations of bribery and corruption.
Olukoyede said , “Given the gravity of the offence which touches on its core values; (integrity, courage, professionalism and collaboration), the Executive Chairman promptly constituted a team to investigate the claim and equally issued a statement through its various social media accounts to that effect.”
Bobrisky, who had been facing multiple charges, including money laundering and gross abuse of the Naira, recently alleged in a viral video that he paid officials of the EFCC N15 million to have some of the charges dropped. These claims were made in a private conversation between Bobrisky and an unidentified individual, which was later made public by YouTuber Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan.
In response to the bribery allegations, the EFCC said it had launched an internal investigation. According to their findings, the video in which Bobrisky claimed to have bribed the Commission’s officers was an attempt to solicit financial support from an unnamed friend. However, the EFCC revealed several inconsistencies in Bobrisky’s statements, which ultimately led to the conclusion that the bribery story was fabricated for personal gain.
Bobrisky alleged that the sum of N15 million was demanded by EFCC officials to drop charges 5 and 6, which were related to money laundering. However, he failed to disclose the identities of the officers involved, the mode of payment, or any other concrete details. Additionally, the Commission confirmed that Bobrisky’s claim of frozen accounts was false, as the EFCC had not placed a Post No Debit (PND) order on his accounts.
The EFCC’s investigation suggests that Bobrisky concocted the bribery story to extract money from the unidentified individual in the video. The Commission found no evidence to support the allegations of bribery, casting doubt on the credibility of the ex-convict’s claims.
The Commission said “It is noteworthy that the Commission extended an invitation to both the ex-convict and VeryDarkMan to come and assist the Commission in unraveling the identities of the officers of the Commission to whom the alleged bribe of the sum of N15,000,000 (Fifteen Million Naira) was paid. Regrettably, up till this moment none of them has honoured the invitation.”
The EFCC explained that charges 5 and 6 were dropped not because of any external influence, but due to a legal review and findings by the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML). The report from SCUML revealed that Bobrisky’s business entity, “Bob Express,” was not a Designated Non-Financial Business and Profession (DNFBP), and thus, the money laundering charges were no longer applicable.
The Commission emphasized that the decision to drop the charges was in line with legal procedures and in the interest of justice. They clarified that such amendments to charges are permissible under Section 216 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
Olukoyede expressed frustration at the baseless allegations of bribery and corruption, noting that neither Bobrisky nor VeryDarkMan had honored invitations to provide further evidence to support their claims. The Commission reiterated that the burden of proof lies with the accusers, and so far, no tangible evidence has been presented to substantiate the bribery allegations.
Despite the gravity of the accusations, the EFCC has maintained its commitment to transparency and accountability. It called on members of the public to provide credible information if they have any proof of wrongdoing by its officials, while warning against the dissemination of false information that could undermine the Commission’s work.
The EFCC reaffirmed its dedication to upholding the integrity of its officers and protecting the Nigerian public from corruption. The Commission urged the Nigerian House of Representatives, which had called for an investigative hearing on the matter, to ensure that its officers are not wrongfully demonized.
Finally, the EFCC assured the public that its decision to drop the money laundering charges was based solely on legal grounds, not bribery or external influence. The Commission remains open to further investigations and emphasized that it will take appropriate action if any wrongdoing is proven in the future.
