Nigerian cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, who is popularly known as Bobrisky, has provided further insights into his journey to becoming a transgender.

The controversial Internet personality disclosed that he started crossdressing as a marketing strategy while he was selling unisex clothes during his undergraduate days at the University of Lagos.

Speaking in a candid interview with maverick singer, Charly Boy, Bobrisky said he didn’t envisage that crossdressing would lead him into becoming a transgender.

He said, “About nine years ago, I was at the University of Lagos studying Accounting. I also had a side hustle, I was selling unisex clothes. Most times I try the female wears on myself and I love the outfits.

“From there, I moved to female hairstyles to makeup and more women were patronising my business. So I decided to keep crossdressing since it was lucrative.

“I wasn’t thinking I was going to do it for a very long time. Initially, it was just a marketing strategy but people were complimenting me that I look better as a woman than a man. That’s how I ended up being Bobrisky.”

He said he faced resistance from his parents initially but they eventually allowed him to be himself.

Five suspects, suspected to be involved in a significant cocaine-smuggling operation, have been apprehended by anti-narcotics detectives in Kenya.

This followed the interception of a woman at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) carrying 57 pellets of cocaine concealed in her private parts.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations in a statement on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, said the primary suspect, Apoko Damaris Adhiambo, had concealed the pellets in her underwear when she was flagged down at JKIA's terminal A1 central screening area just before boarding a Madagascar-bound plane on Tuesday.
 
Upon interrogation, the suspect revealed she was recruited into the cocaine smuggling syndicate by one Harriet Asaba, a woman living in Nairobi.
 
Using forensic technologies, detectives tracked Asaba to Accra Road in Nairobi and arrested her.
 
“A woman's stratagem to traffic 57 pellets of cocaine to Madagascar by escaping the grip of our security apparatus at the Jomo Kenyatta Intn'l Airport proved futile last night, when anti-narcotics detectives noted the nose candy stuffed in her under garments and rerouted her travel itinerary to a police cell,” the statement read.
 
"In the 10.30pm interception, Apoko Damaris Adhiambo, 32, was flagged down at terminal A1's central screening area, as she checked in to board Kenya Airways KQ 256 flight to Antananarivo, Madagascar.
 
"A body scanner at the checkpoint revealed suspicious items concealed around her privates, triggering a quick search that saw over 600g of the highly addictive gak discovered. A spot test conducted on the discovery was positive for the coca product.
 
"After a moment of interrogation by female anti-narcotics officers, Apoko revealed to have been recruited by a Ugandan national identified as Harriet Asaba who resided within the Kenyan Capital.

 
"Deploying forensic technologies, detectives traced Asaba to Accra Road in Nairobi CBD and effected her arrest.
 
"In the painstaking pursuit to break the entire syndicate, the second suspect led officers to Free Area Hotel building and into the VIP Beauty Shop, where a meticulous search was conducted and another 33 pellets of crack found.
 
"Therein, three more suspects namely Nangonzi Shirah (a Ugandan national), Esther Wanjiru, 24 and Sophia Kathambi aged 24 were also rounded up.
 
"Presumptive test on the second recovery also tested positive for Cocaine, weighing approximately 396 grams.
 
“Whereas prosecution processes have been instigated on the arrested suspects, further investigations are ongoing jointly with the InterPol team to track down the recipients of the drugs at Antananarivo.”

The chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Yobe state chapter, Comrade Muktar Tarbutu has been ordered to be remanded in prison.

He was charged to court for allegedly diverting palliatives.

The order was given by the court On Wednesday, March 27.

Comrade Tarbutu was arraigned on Wednesday before Magistrate II Damaturu over the allegation of diverting palliatives given to him by the North East Development Commission (NEDC) for distribution.

The secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yobe state, Barrister Mohammad Ngumurumi, disclosed that NEDC had given the palliatives to the NLC to share among some selected unions, but he failed to do so.

As reported by Daily Trust, Comrade didn’t share these items with NUJ and NBA.

However, he pleaded not guilty during his arraignment.

The legal practitioner explained thus:

‘‘The North East Development Commission (NEDC) distributed 25kg of 150 bags of rice, 150 bags of sugar, 150 cartons of spaghetti, 150 rappers for women, and 150 textiles for men as well as 150 blankets.

‘‘He was urged to share them among the members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

‘‘He didn’t share these items with NUJ and NBA, we asked him where ours is, he didn’t show us that is why NBA filed the case to the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and he was arraigned today (Wednesday), but he pleaded not guilty."

The accused was sent to prison by Chief Magistrate II Damaturu, His Worship Hasiya Abubakar, till April 18, 2024, when the principal hearing will be held.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Thursday stated Lagos State recorded N1.05trillion domestic debt in the fourth quarter (Q4 2023) to emerge the state with the highest public debt portfolio.

NBS document tagged: “Commodity Price Index and Terms of Trade (Q4 2023), that made this known, added that Lagos was followed by Delta with a debt portfolio of N373.41 billion.

The document said: “Lagos state recorded the highest domestic debt in Q4 2023 with N1.05 trillion, followed by Delta with N373.41 billion.”

According to the report, Jigawa recorded the lowest domestic debt with N42.76 billion, followed by Kebbi with N60.69 billion.

On external debt, NBS noted Lagos has the highest external debt in Q4 2023 with $1.24 billion followed by Kaduna with $587.07 million while Borno recorded the least with $20.49 million, followed by Yobe with $21.49 million.

The data said Nigeria’s public debt stock which includes external and domestic debt stood at N97.34 trillion (US$108.23 billion) in Q4 2023 from N87.91 trillion (US$ 114.35 billion) in Q3 2023, indicating a growth rate of 10.73% on a quarter-on-quarter basis.

Total external debt, said the document, stood at N38.22 trillion (US$42.50 billion) in Q4 2023, while total domestic debt was N59.12 trillion (US$65.73 billion).

The bureau revealed that the share of external debt (in naira value) to total public debt was 39.26% in Q4 2023, while the share of domestic debt (in naira value) to total public debt was 60.74%.

A Federal High Court in Borno State has ordered the military to release 313 suspected terrorists, for lack of evidence to nail the suspects after investigations.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Gen. Buba Edward, on Thursday, disclosed this during a briefing on military operations across the country in Abuja.

He said that the military would comply with the court order and release the suspected terrorists to the state government.

Buba said, “During the week, as a follow-up to a court order of the Federal High Court in Maiduguri, a total of 313 suspects in detention for terrorism-related offences were to be released to the Borno State government.

“The court ordered the release for want of evidence after the conclusion of the investigation and other ancillary matters.

“The cases were prosecuted by the Department of Prosecution, Federal Ministry of Justice. they would be handed over to the Borno State Government for further action.”

Editor of FirstNews Online Newspaper, Segun Olatunji, has regained his freedom after spending 12 days in custody.

Gunmen in military uniform had invaded Olatunji’s residence at Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos State, on March 15, 2024, and whisked him away.

While the journalist’s family did not receive any communication from his military, the management of the media platform linked the incident to a story published by FirstNews.

Concerns about his location continued until the International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria) said its checks showed the editor was in the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), an agency under the command of Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, who, in turn, reports to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Chris Musa.

Hours after the IPI made the disclosure, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, told some editors that the military had confirmed that the editor was in their custody.

Meanwhile, in a strongly-worded statement on Wednesday, IPI called on President Bola Tinubu to activate the powers of his office as Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces to direct the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to produce Olatunji.

“IPI Nigeria has received inquiries about this matter from all over the world. The Institute has also contacted the Nigeria Police, the Nigerian Army, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Defence Headquarters, and the Ministry of Information and National Orientation seeking information on Mr Olatunji and demanding his release. All efforts in this direction have so far failed.

“That has triggered speculations among journalists and human rights activists around the world that the Nigerian military may be keeping some vital information away from the public concerning the journalist’s safety.

“IPI is therefore calling on President Tinubu to direct the Nigerian military authorities to immediately release Mr Olatunji or charge him to court if he has committed any offence. The international community should also pay attention to the unjust detention of Mr. Olatunji by the Nigerian military,” said the statement signed by IPI President, Musikilu Mojeed, and Tobi Soniyi, its secretary.

Consequently, on Thursday morning, Olatunji was released to the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), according a message by the Secretary of the Guild, Dr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren.

As at the time of his release, the DIA didn’t say what Olatunji’s offence was.

Eniola Ajao, the movie producer, has apologised over the controversies trailing the ‘best-dressed female’ award presented to Bobrisky, the crossdresser, at her recently-held movie premiere.

‘Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds’ premiere was held on Sunday at Circle Mall, Lekki, Lagos.

Femi Adebayo announced the self-acclaimed transgender as the winner of the N1 million attached to the award.

Bobrisky’s victory, however, stirred controversies online with celebrities and fans questioning the parameters used in handing out the award.

There was a heated war of words between actress Dayo Amusa and Omotayo Sanusi, Adebayo’s wife, while Portable, the controversial singer, referred to Bobrisky as a “disgrace to brotherhood”.

But in an Instagram post, Ajao apologised to all the parties involved in the saga.

The filmmaker expressed “reverence for women” while pledging “never to engage in behaviour that diminishes their role in society”.

The movie star explained that the decision to hand Bobrisky the ‘best-dressed female’ award was a “ploy to create publicity” for the movie.

To make amends, Eniola also announced two new winners for the ‘best-dressed female’ category, adding that each will receive N1 million as a “token of my sincere apology and appreciation for their grace and elegance”.

“I address you all today, taking full responsibility and seeking your pardon with my deepest regrets for the distress and turmoil caused by the events surrounding the selection of Best Dressed at the premiere of “AJAKAJU,” the statement reads in part.

“First, I want to extend my sincerest apologies to the Muslim community, especially during this sacred month of Ramadan.

“To the women in our society, I want to express my profound apologies. As a woman myself, I understand the importance of upholding and honoring our gender with dignity and respect. I want to assure you that I hold the utmost reverence for womanhood, and I would never intentionally engage in any behavior that diminishes or disparages the role of women in our society.

“I also extend my heartfelt apologies to My honorable and supportive boss Femi Adebayo @femiadebayosalami and his wife, @iyanaladuke and @dayoamusa for the undue backlash they faced as a result of the announcement made at our event. I deeply regret the insults and disrespect directed towards them, and I take full responsibility for any harm caused.

“To Bobrisky @bobrisky222 I offer my sincere apologies for putting you in a difficult position. The decision to award you was never meant to cause harm or controversy but was rather an attempt to generate publicity for our movie. I am truly sorry for any distress this may have caused you.

“To make amends and correct my mistakes, I have decided to honour two females, Bode Alao and one other beautiful woman as the best-dressed females at the premiere. Each will receive a sum of N1,000,000.”

It, however, remains to be seen if the award and money handed to Bobrisky would be taken from her.

Pelumi Nubi, the Nigerian travel content creator driving from London to Lagos, says she will continue the journey — despite surviving a car accident.

On Tuesday, Nubi revealed that she was involved in a car accident.

She also shared a picture of the now-wrecked car she had used for the trip.

The front part of the car was severely mangled while the windscreen had also been shattered.

She accompanied the post with the caption: “Say a prayer for me”.

In a post via her Instagram page on Wednesday, Nubi said she “miraculously survived” the accident.

She said she will be “taking things easy” for now and continue her trip when she regains her strength.

“God has really shown His mercy. Miraculously, I emerged unharmed from the accident – I survived,” she said.

“A big thank you for all your love, prayers, and good thoughts! It’s crystal clear to me that I have a family here online, rooting for me every step of the way.

“I am taking it easy for now, but I’m definitely going to keep going. The journey is far from over, and with renewed strength and your unwavering support, I will continue to move forward.”

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pelumi Nubi |Travel content creator (@pelumi.nubi)

Nubi was making the trip in a purple Peugeot 107. The vehicle was customised with features that enabled space for sleeping and dining.

It, however, remains unknown which country she was in at the time of the accident and what caused the crash.

In November, Nubi announced her intention to embark on a solo trip from London to Lagos.

She commenced the trip on January 30.

Pelumi had initially announced that she would arrive in Lagos on March 23.

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However, she said the date had been changed due to border issues she was experiencing in some countries.

She recently disclosed that she was denied entry at the Sierra Leonian and Liberian borders.

Wasiu Ayinde, the Fuji singer fondly called Kwam 1, has opened up on his plans to return to school.

The Fuji star spoke about his love for education in a recent chat with journalists at his Mayegun Resort in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun.

The 67-year-old singer confirmed he is a “school dropout”, adding that he will enroll as an undergraduate at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun state.

Kwam 1 said he had discussed his intentions with the dean of the school of music. He added that part of his decision to pursue a degree at OOU is to see how he can contribute to developing the varsity’s music faculty.

“All my life I do research. Every opportunity that I have. Presently I am in school. As a matter of fact, I will soon be a fresher at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU). I am just trying to do things in my own way to suit myself. You learn till you die,” he said.

“Very recently I had the opportunity to go and attend a function at the OOU. We had a mass set of graduands. The bands on the stand tried their hands on some of my works to recognise my presence. I was so overjoyous that time. So, in the form of wanting to appreciate them more, I sought to speak to the leader of the band and there I was told it was a band from the music class of OOU and they just started that class. I showed so much interest. I called for further discussion and in the cause of doing that I told them I want to enroll. I want to be part of them to see how we can develop a lot out of that.

“… part of what I also discussed with the dean of the school of music at OOU was that we can do better. To bring a whole lot of artistes. The state is blessed with many names like Haruna Ishola, Ayuba, Shina Peters, Wizkid, Olamide, and D’banj. I told the dean that people like me can be used to bring everybody together and develop. That is what prompted me to want to go back to school.

“I am a school dropout… I know the value of education… will I say I have self-education? Any sane person will never criticise the beauty of education.”

Ayinde, an indigene of Ijebu-Ode, was born in Lagos in 1957.

Kwam 1 attended Government College, Isolo, Lagos. He was unable to complete his education as a result of his father’s death.

With over five decades in the music industry and several awards and accolades, Kwam 1 is regarded as an icon in Nigeria.

An Ebute-Metta Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State, on Wednesday, remanded a 25-year-old man, David Ojonugwa, for allegedly stealing the sum of N54,142,000 from his employer.

Magistrate Adedayo Tella remanded Ojonugwa at the Correctional Centre pending the review of facts and sentencing after he pleaded guilty to the charges against him.

Ojonugwa is facing three counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful interference with property, and stealing preferred against him by the police.

Earlier when Ojonugwa was arraigned, the prosecutor, Inspector Francisca Job, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offences sometime in January 2024.

She said the incident took place at Lorange Water Factory, located at No 3, Olajubu Street, Ilupeju area of Lagos State.

Job told the court that Ojonugwa unlawfully disconnected, removed, tampered, and meddled with one 10KVA generator valued at N250,000, a 12 HP submersible pump machine valued at N200,000, an electric motor for a water line, N1.8m, and bottled water machine, N1m.

Others are one injection machine module at N12m, injection machine module, N14m, one set of four cavity module bottles (150CL) at N9m, one set of four cavity module bottles (75CL), valued at N8m, one set of four cavity module bottles (25CL), valued at N5m, one electric for motor shrink wrapper (75KW) valued at N110,000, two floating switches for the bottled water line valued at N20,000, 200 stainless bolts and nuts for installation valued at N92,000, six stainless rods for the installation of the water line valued at N200,000 and 1,000 pieces of medium-sized catfishes valued at N40,000, items that were stolen by the defendant.

She said that the total value of the items stolen was N54,142,000, properties of one Mrs Teju Adeleke.

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 411, 340, and 287 (7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

However, Ojonugwa pleaded guilty to the charges against him.

Consequently, Magistrate Tella remanded Ojonugwa at the Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till April 24, 2024, for facts and sentencing.