An investigative panel established by Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has concluded that popular crossdresser Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky, completed his six-month jail term without any evidence of serving his sentence outside prison.
Bobrisky was sentenced on April 12 for abusing the naira and was released in August. Controversial social critic Martins Ortse, also known as VeryDarkMan, previously shared an audio recording in which Bobrisky allegedly claimed to have paid N15 million to officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to have money laundering charges against him dropped.
In the same audio, Bobrisky mentioned a “godfather” and staff from the Nigerian Correctional Service who supposedly ensured he served his sentence in a private apartment rather than in prison.
On September 30, the Minister of Interior formed an investigative panel chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Magdalena Ajani, to probe alleged corruption and violations within the Nigerian Correctional Service.
During a report presentation on Monday, panel member Uju Agomoh, who is also the Executive Director and founder of Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action, stated that no evidence was found to support claims that Bobrisky had slept outside the custodial facility during his imprisonment from April 12 to August 5.
The report indicated that Bobrisky was transferred between various facilities, including the Kuje Custodial Centre and the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri-Apapa, Lagos, before ultimately being moved to a Maximum Security Custodial Centre, where he completed his sentence.
Agomoh highlighted that Bobrisky enjoyed numerous privileges while incarcerated, such as having a furnished single cell, access to a humidifier, frequent visits from family and friends, self-feeding, designated inmates to run errands for him, and access to a fridge and television. There were indications that he may have also had access to his phone.
The panel noted that Bobrisky’s transfer to a maximum security facility as a first-time offender violated sections 164A and 164B of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019.
The panel emphasised the need for further investigation into whether the privileges granted to Bobrisky were influenced by corrupt practices among correctional officers.
In light of their findings, the panel recommended establishing clear guidelines to govern the treatment of inmates and to prevent discriminatory practices based on socioeconomic status or other factors in future cases.
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