The House of Representatives has initiated an investigation into the alleged payment of a N15 million bribe to officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky. This decision was made following a motion of urgent public importance raised by Patrick Umoh on Thursday. The motion called for the House committees on Financial Crimes and Reformatory Institutions to thoroughly probe the allegations.

In April, Bobrisky was arrested by the EFCC on charges of money laundering and currency mutilation. While standing trial at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Judge Abimbola Awogboro dismissed the money laundering charges but sentenced Bobrisky to six months in prison for Naira abuse. Despite this, a controversy has recently emerged following his release. Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, posted a leaked audio on Instagram in which Bobrisky was allegedly heard discussing with a friend how EFCC officials had collected N15 million from him in exchange for dropping the money laundering charges.

VeryDarkMan claimed that he released the audio after Bobrisky failed to repay N4 million to an individual who helped him raise the N15 million bribe. In response to the audio leak, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, issued a statement calling for an immediate investigation into the bribery accusations. He further directed both Bobrisky and VeryDarkMan to report to the EFCC’s Lagos office to assist in the ongoing investigation. Additionally, the Interior Minister ordered a separate investigation into Bobrisky’s claims that he bribed prison officials to avoid being incarcerated during his six-month sentence.

During the House session, Mr. Umoh recounted the bribery allegations, emphasizing the potential damage this could cause to Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts if proven true. He expressed concern about the negative image this situation could create for Nigeria, particularly in the global perception of the country as being corrupt. The House of Representatives voted in favor of the motion, officially launching the investigation into the bribery claims.