Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has announced that the report of the investigation into allegations of bribery and misconduct within Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) involving popular crossdresser turned Transgender, Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye popularly known as Bobrisky, will be ready next week.
Gatekeepers News reports that Tunji-Ojo made the announcement in Abuja at official launch of the report on situation of children and young adults deprived of liberty in Nigeria.
Recall that controversial self-acclaimed activist, Martins Vincent Otse aka VeryDarkMan recently shared a purported audio recording online in which Bobrisky said she bribed some Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials with N15,000,000 to drop the money laundering charges against her.
The celebrity who was sentenced to six months imprisonment on April 12 for abusing the naira also said her “godfather” alongside Haliru Nababa, the controller general of the NCoS made it possible for her to serve the six-month sentence in a private apartment and not the prison.
The minister acknowledged the presence of dedicated officers within the system adding that actions of a few would not be allowed to destroy the integrity of the institution.
He said, “I don’t care about Bobrisky; it is about the system. There must be penalties for actions.”
“The correctional centers cannot continue to be a point of disgrace to the Nigerian government.”
In addition, Tunji-Ojo confirmed that an officer implicated in the scandal has been suspended and replaced.
The minister emphasised the need for accountability in addressing challenges within the country’s correctional facilities and reiterated his commitment to transforming the system.
He further assured that he would take responsibility for the future of the system.
Tunji-Ojo said, “This responsibility will be a springboard for a better tomorrow.”
“If I tell you that I am comfortable with what is happening at the correctional centres, I will be the greatest liar.”
“Take this to the bank: we will reform the Nigerian correctional center.”
The minister shared statistics from a recent SWOT analysis conducted by his ministry, noting that of 84,000 inmates in Nigeria, approximately 10 percent were imprisoned for failing to pay fines as low as N10,000.
He added, “Do we need 256 correctional centres? The answer is no.”
Tunji-Ojo advocated for creative solutions and collaboration with the Ministry of Justice to explore non-custodial options for approximately 70 percent of inmates who are awaiting trial.
