An investigative panel set up by Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has revealed the result of the investigation on allegations of bribery against popular crossdresser turned transgender, Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye.
Gatekeepers News reports that Bobriksy was sentenced to six months imprisonment on April 12 for abusing naira and was released from prison in August.
Controversial self-acclaimed activist, Martins Vincent Otse popularly known as VeryDarkMan shared a purported audio recording belonging to Bobrisky.
In the audio, Bobrisky alleged that she paid N15m to some Economic and Financial Crimes Commission officials to drop the money laundering charge against him.
The celebrity also claimed that her godfather and staff members of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) ensured she served the six-month sentence in a private apartment and not in prison.
On September 30, the minister
Tunji Ojo on September 30, constituted an investigative panel chaired by Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Interior, Magdalena Ajani, and ordered a probe into the alleged corruption and other violations against Nigerian Correctional Service.
A member of the panel and Executive Director and founder of Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action, Uju Agomoh who read phase one report said the panel found no evidence that Bobrisky slept outside the prison walls after she was sentenced.
He said, “The panel did not find any evidence thus far that suggested that Mr. Okuneye slept outside the custodial centre during the period of his imprisonment, which was from 12th April 2024 to 5th August 2024, which is a six-month correctional sentence with the usual remission applicable”.
Agomoh said during this period, Bobrisky was transferred from Kuje Custodial Centre to Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri-Apapa, Lagos, and then to Maximum Security Custodial Centre, from where she was discharged after the completion of her sentence.
He added that Bobrisky enjoyed several privileges like furnished single cells, a humidifier, and lots of visits by his family members and friends while in both custodial centres.
The panel notes that Bobrisky’s transfer to a maximum security facility as a first offender violated Section 164A and Section 164B of Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019.
He said, “The panel also found that Mr. Okuneye Idris enjoyed several privileges while in custody, both at the Medium Security and the Maximum Security Custodial Centres, which include, especially the following: furnished single cells, humidifier, lots of visits by his family members and friends as he desired, self-feeding, designated inmates to run errands for him, access to fridge and television, and possibly access to his phone.”
“It is necessary to further investigate if the above privileges provided for Okuneye Idris were financially motivated and based on corrupt practices by correctional officers.”
“The panel believes that the peculiar case of the inmates and the inmates’ physical look and behaviour pose a threat, and the lack of laid-down rules for the treatment of such a case may have necessitated such privileges to be granted to Okunenye Idris.”
“The panel recommends that clear guidelines need to be set up to guide operations regarding such incidents in future. Steps should be taken to avoid the obvious discriminatory practices in relation to the socio-economic levels and other status of inmates.”
