Member LoginMember Login - User registration - Setup as front page - Add to favorites - Sitemap A Nigerian transgender celebrity is jailed for throwing money into the air, a rare conviction !

A Nigerian transgender celebrity is jailed for throwing money into the air, a rare conviction

Time:2024-05-21 17:24:22 source:Cultural Compass news portal

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A popular Nigerian transgender woman was sentenced to six months on Friday after a local court convicted her of throwing money into the air, a practice known as spraying. Though common, especially at parties, spraying is illegal in Nigeria.

The rare conviction was criticized by many in the West African nation, a deeply conservative country where members of the LGBTQ+ community are often targeted under a law banning same-sex relations.

Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, better known as Bobrisky, was accused of “tampering” with naira banknotes by spraying them at a social event.

She had pleaded guilty when first arraigned by Nigeria’s anti-graft agency in the economic hub of Lagos. Bobrisky’s sentence — without the option of a fine — is the maximum permitted by law for the offence. She is allowed to appeal the ruling.

“Selective enforcement of the law is a problem in Nigeria,” said human rights lawyer Festus Ogun, who raised the question why Bobrisky was “singled out” by the anti-graft agency.

Related information
  • Target to lower prices on basic goods in response to inflation
  • Scammers pose as police officers in attempt to get financial information
  • 'We simply cannot afford to': Hawke's Bay leaders desperate for cyclone
  • Watch: Orca seen swimming in Wellington harbour
  • What's next for Iran after death of its president in crash?
  • Man shot in Sydney mall after reports of stabbings, police say
  • Boeing 737 found to have missing panel after landing
  • Ukraine could face defeat in 2024. Here's how that might look
Recommended content
  • Saudi Arabia is going to sponsor the WTA women's tennis rankings under a new partnership
  • Christopher Luxon defends more funding for Ruapehu ski fields
  • 'Highly respected' tramper still missing in Pureora Forest  after two weeks
  • Heavy rain warning for Westland likely to move to red
  • Iran helicopter crash that killed President Raisi could reverberate across the Middle East
  • Compulsory microchipping and desexing of pet cats after Lower Hutt council vote