Human rights lawyer Festus Ogun has criticized the recent arrest of crossdresser Bobrisky, who was detained by authorities on October 20 while attempting to travel from Nigeria to the Benin Republic. In a statement on his X account, Ogun argued that stopping a Nigerian citizen from leaving the country without legal grounds is unjustified.
“The Nigeria Immigration Service’s recent detention of Bobrisky during his attempt to travel abroad, labeling him ‘a person of interest over recent public concerns,’ is arbitrary, unlawful, and unconstitutional.
Restricting a citizen’s right to exit the country without legal justification is entirely wrong. Currently, there are no charges against Bobrisky. What alleged crime justifies his detention and continued harassment? On what legal basis is his right to freedom of movement and personal liberty, as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution, being denied?
I see no lawful basis for this recent arrest or for preventing his departure from Nigeria. The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) must stop violating citizens’ fundamental rights without cause. Allowing the NIS to continue these actions risks enabling the state to prevent citizens—especially journalists, activists, and outspoken figures—from leaving the country under the pretense of being a ‘person of interest.’
We must not allow this concerning precedent to be set, as it could eventually affect us all.
May the spoon we use today not turn into the tool that digs our graves.”
Reports indicate that the Nigerian Immigration Service stopped Bobrisky at the Sème border on October 21 as he attempted to leave the country, subsequently transferring him to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) annex in Alagbon, Lagos.
