LAGOS,Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) –The Nigeria Police Force has stated that it cannot arrest crossdressers, including Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju aka Bobrisky.
The self-proclaimed transgender and crossdresser, has always been in the news for controversial reasons.
The social media celebrity claimed to be Nigeria’s first transgender who once admitted to having severed her genitals.
There have been calls for her arrest, with the most recent coming after she controversially won the ‘best dressed female’ category at a Nollywood event.
Socialites like Portable and VeryDarkMan have also asked the authorities to arrest him because his moral viewpoint contradicted the Constitution.
Speaking in a recent interview on Channels TV, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police spokesperson, said the force cannot arrest crossdressers based on physical appearance.
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He stated that crossdressing is not yet a punishable violation in Nigeria.
He further noted that, while there may be allegations that those who cross-dress are also members of the LGBTQ community, there is no concrete evidence to back it up, thus they cannot take them to court.
The police spokesperson, however, asked those seeking prosecution for crossdressers to come forward with “solid evidence”.
“There are some cases that are always very difficult to prove. Fine, I am not really denying the fact that we have many of them. But, for instance, if you want to prove a case of rape, rape has points to prove,” Adejobi said.
“If anyone of those points is missing you may lose your case in court. Let us be reasonable. You cannot arrest somebody, you want to prosecute without having such credible evidence against such a person.”
READ ALSO: Portable, Bobrisky In War Of Words Over “Best Dressed Female” Award
When asked if crossdressing is an offence in Nigeria, he replied: “I do not think so. I have not read anywhere that it is an offence per se. But for some of them that are into cross-dressing, the allegation is that they are into something else, unnatural offences.
“That is where the problem lies. We need to have enough proof, credible evidence to prove that they are actually into that. All those offences are natural offences in Nigeria and are punishable under our law,” he added.
“If you dress, fine, you want to enjoy your liberty. But if you are into something else that is criminal, unnatural offences. Many people have been saying that, but let us have enough evidence to nail the individual who is into that dirty thing, law will take its course.”
In April 2022, the house of representatives considered a bill seeking to prohibit crossdressing in Nigeria.
The bill aims to amend the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act (SSMPA) and defines crossdressing as the “practice of wearing clothes usually worn by a person of the opposite sex”.
The proposed amendment, however, provided an exception that the clauses “shall not apply to crossdressing in the course of a stage play or in any bona fide public entertainment”.