The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced that the money laundering charges against Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, were legally dropped in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
This revelation came from Bilikisu Bala, a prosecutor with the EFCC, during her testimony before a Joint Committee of the House of Representatives investigating corruption allegations against some EFCC officers and members of the Nigeria Correctional Service concerning this case.
In a statement released on Monday by Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, it was noted that Bala, who led the prosecution team for Okuneye’s case, explained that the charges were dismissed based on findings from the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML).
According to SCUML, Okuneye’s company, Bob Express, was not classified as a Designated Non-Financial Institution, Business, and Profession (DNFIBP) and therefore could not be prosecuted for violating the provisions of the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.
Bala stated, “Initially, we filed six charges against Okuneye, which included counts related to Naira Abuse and Money Laundering, based on his confession that Bob Express was not registered with SCUML and was not submitting required returns.” Specifically, counts 1-4 addressed Naira Abuse, while counts 5 and 6 pertained to money laundering.
She explained that Okuneye’s admission of not registering his firm with SCUML was the basis for including the money laundering charges in the initial filing.
However, upon reaching out to SCUML for clarification regarding Bob Express’s status, the unit confirmed that the company did not fall under the DNFIBP classification. Bala indicated that given this clarification, it was not lawful to continue with the money laundering charges. She explained, “We cannot lawfully sustain the charges in all sincerity. Therefore, we dropped them and proceeded with the four counts of Naira mutilation, to which Okuneye had pleaded guilty.”
Bala also refuted claims suggesting that financial inducement played a role in the decision to drop the charges, emphasizing that no such bribery occurred. She asserted, “There is simply no basis for that. The ACJA permits the amendment of charges; it is a standard professional practice. It is laughable for anyone to attribute our decision to monetary issues. If we did not intend to modify the charges, why would we have contacted SCUML? We sought their guidance, and when they informed us that the firm had not violated any laws, there was no justification for retaining the money laundering charges.”
During the Committee meeting, Bala appeared alongside senior management staff from the EFCC and urged the Committee to thoroughly investigate all allegations made against the EFCC and to publicly disclose their findings to uphold justice.
Michael Nzekwe, Chief of Staff to the EFCC’s Chairman, who represented Chairman Ola Olukoyede, reiterated the Commission’s commitment to the integrity of its personnel. “We take allegations of bribery against our officers very seriously. Integrity is one of our core values, and that’s why we are here to present all the facts related to Okuneye’s trial to the public,” he stated.
In a separate development, Okuneye, an ex-convict, had claimed in a viral audio recording that he offered a bribe of 15 million naira to unnamed EFCC officers in an attempt to persuade them to drop the money laundering charges against him.
