April 21, (THEWILL)- The unhappiest celeb in a Nigerian prison at the moment can’t be anyone other than Bobrisky born and known to his parents as Idris Olarewanju Okuneye. From Ikoyi Custodial Centre where he became the most famous inmate a week or so ago, officials of the Nigeria Prison Services have confirmed his relocation to the roomier Kirikiri Prison at Olodi Apapa where Nigeria’s preeminent gender bender will remain for six months. It is so sudden a metamorphosis that had any Ifa priest worth his opele cautioned the social media influencer about it, Bobrisky would have sniffed at the venerable priest, probably urging him to look again at his Ouija board.
Before his arrest last March, Bobrisky was undoubtedly one of the gayest social media individuals around. Born male, he relished his transformation through plastic surgery into a spectacular female figure. He flaunted it, dressed to match in his new-found identity: there were the tightfitting lace wrappers, short and long gowns, the flamboyant headgears, cherry-red lips and painted, long finger nails you ordinarily would associate with a Surulere socialite. There were the numerous spiky high heel footwear. In short, Bobrisky’s makeover from man to woman was so complete that she easily trumped others in a competition as best dressed woman recently.
Men transforming into women isn’t such a novel phenomenon in the world. There was the classic case of Irish gender-bender and artiste Boy George (George O’Dowd) who strutted around in his funny get-up back in the 1980s up to the nineties. As the lead singer of musical group Culture Club, Boy George performed in concerts and shows dressed most times as a woman in in America, Europe and Asia with hardly a wink of disapproval from millions of followers and admirers.
So, when Bobrisky made a similar transformation and proudly proclaimed it to all years ago, there was a rumble of both disapproval and admiration from her followers (5 million strong on social media.) Of course, he became an instant sensation such that whatever Bobrisky did at any one time became the subject of public debate. And, for more publicity traction, he fuelled it himself. Is it a phalanx of male admirers swooning to befriend him? He posted it online without naming any of them. Her new home bought for a dizzying N400 million? It was grist for social media. Bobrisky’s followers quickly latched on to them and forwarded such news items promptly. He counted among his friend Nollywood actress Tontoh Dike who was always a pillar of support.
But there were those who thought the controversial cross dresser had gone too far with his adopted female identity. Mostly a patriarchal society, many of Bobrisky’s traducers in Nigeria couldn’t understand why he had to embrace the identity of another sex in the first place. To them, it is anathema, like defying the natural order. They couldn’t stand it! Who does he think he is, anyway? What’s more? He seemed to always throw it in the faces of those who were most repulsed by the very idea of him becoming a woman, a sort of in-your-face attitude that you could do nothing about. Or so he thought.
They needn’t hardly worry because there is freedom of choice guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. On that score, Bobrisky’s haters couldn’t do much to rein him in. But as the Yorubas say, an individual who rubs oil on his body has made the job relatively easier for those who want to burn him. His mutilation of the naira three times at three different venues in Lagos state was enough to hang him, even though similar offences by others have resulted in not as much punitive sentencing. The aim, say his defenders, was to get Bobrisky at all cost for gender-bending inclination and not because of his disrespect for Nigeria’s currency.
Commenting on Bobrisky’s conviction and jailing by a Nigerian judge, four Nigerian professors in American universities Wale Adebanwi, Akin Adesokan, Ebenezer Obadare and Olufemi Taiwo have written thusly: “The conviction of Okuneye Idris Olarewanju, popularly known as Bobrisky, by a Federal High Court in Lagos, constitutes a flagrant display of judicial highhandedness, an offence against fairness and basic decency, if not an outright distortion of the law. In sentencing the accused to six months in jail without an option of a fine, Justice Abimbola Awogboro presided over a sham trial in which she substantiated her prejudice while possibly allowing herself and the legal system to be used to do the dirty work of those who cannot stomach the spectacle of Bobrisky dressing as and, for all intents and purposes, presenting publicly as a woman.”
On her popular Thursday column in Punch of 18 April, Abimbola Adelakun equally panned the sentencing of the famous cross dresser. Headlined “Finally, they came for Bobrisky,” she surmised that practically the entire establishment in Nigeria were massed against the accused and he stood no chance of survival before them. Describing Bobrisky’s transformation as an affront to the male masculine symbol of the penis, Adelakun mused that “When men could no longer take the affront to their dear penis anymore, they came up with the most spurious charge against Bobrisky,” insisting that the country “has a collection of judicial enforcers – from the police to the Department of State, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and even judges who wield immense power but hardly match it with up with either a sense of moral responsibility or an understanding of the spirit of democracy.”
Despite that, Bobrisky’s sentencing and jailing begs some questions. Why do celebs like to push the envelope, to tempt fate? For the fun of it? To be noticed? To dare the authorities? Or just because he or she is a famous person? The answer could just be all of the above.
In 1984, the military dictatorship of General Muhammadu Buhari and Brigadier Tunde Idiagbon passed a decree that Nigerians should not carry more than a certain sum amount of Basic Travelling Allowance while travelling outside the country. Late Fela Anikulapo fell afoul of it. He was promptly arrested, tried and jailed. His last son, Seun, in May 2023 stood up to an officer of the Nigeria Police Force and surprised the man with a well-timed slap. He was caught and detained. In February 2024, Nollywood actress Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin was punished with a fine of N300, 000 for mutilating the naira at a party, a crime for which Bobrisky has now been jailed.
The social media is currently awash with high profile individuals who have committed the same offence and gone scot free. So, why is Bobrisky’s case different?
There can only be speculations. But what is pretty much clear is this: By the time Bobrisky completes his prison term in six months, he will emerge from Kirikiri Custodial Centre a different person – especially physically and mentally. Before his arrest, trial and sentencing, the gender bender who likes to shock lived like royalty. For instance, he had a smorgasbord of dishes to choose from, at any posh restaurant and at whatever price. He could place his order from swank eateries as well or have a chef rouse up some special delicacy at home. But now, and for the rest of his stay at KCC, he will have to queue behind other inmates for dollops of unappetising prison rations.
Worse still he will be denied that which he cherished most as a social media influencer: updating millions of followers on his every activity by the minute.
About the Author
Michael Jimoh is a Nigerian journalist with many years experience in print media. He is currently a Special Correspondent with THEWILL.
