On Monday, Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, revealed how he obtained the controversial audio allegedly linked to Nigerian social media celebrity, Bobrisky. The activist made his statement while appearing before the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Financial Crimes and Reformatory Institutions. The committee is investigating bribery accusations involving officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Haliru Nababa, the controller-general of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
VeryDarkMan initially refused to speak until Bobrisky was present, but he later agreed to testify after his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, intervened. During his address, the activist explained that he received the audio from an individual to whom Bobrisky owed money.
According to VeryDarkMan, the person who provided the audio had lent Bobrisky N4 million while the crossdresser was either in EFCC custody or staying at a private location. The loan was given on June 19, 2024. While he did not disclose the name of the lender, VeryDarkMan submitted part of the audio to the committee as evidence.
In the audio recording, Bobrisky allegedly claimed that she paid N15 million to bribe EFCC officials to dismiss a money laundering case against her. Bobrisky also reportedly stated that after being sentenced for naira abuse in April, her influential “godfather” and the controller-general of NCoS arranged for her to serve the six-month sentence in a private apartment rather than in prison.
The allegations triggered a response from the House of Representatives, with a motion being moved by Patrick Umoh, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker from Akwa Ibom. He emphasized that the bribery claims were serious and painted a negative image of Nigeria’s institutions. The House adopted the motion and called for an investigation, instructing the relevant committees to report back within three weeks.
Bobrisky has since denied the accusations, calling the audio recording “fake.” Both Bobrisky and VeryDarkMan have been invited by the EFCC for questioning regarding the bribery claims. Additionally, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, has ordered a full investigation into the matter.
The outcome of the investigation is eagerly awaited, as it could have significant implications for the EFCC and NCoS, institutions already under scrutiny for corruption-related concerns.
