- Trouble is brewing for Bobrisky as the panel investigating his controversial jail term gears up to escalate his woes.
- The scandal has taken a shocking twist, with several prison officials now facing serious allegations and being formally indicted.
Controversial Nigerian crossdresser Idris Okuneye, better known as Bobrisky, finds himself teetering on the brink of fresh criminal charges amid shocking allegations that he served his jail term in a lavish private apartment and bribed officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to drop serious money laundering charges against him.
On September 30, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo established an investigative panel, led by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Magdalena Ajani, to probe the alleged corruption and violations surrounding Bobrisky’s controversial release.
This move comes in the wake of explosive claims made by the outspoken activist VeryDarkMan, who released a damning video in which Bobrisky allegedly admitted to bribing EFCC officials with a staggering N15 million to dismiss the money laundering charge, as well as paying off officials in the Nigerian Correctional Service to enjoy his six-month sentence from the comfort of a private apartment.
Despite the gravity of these claims, the panel’s report stated that there was no evidence to support Bobrisky’s assertion that he slept anywhere but within the confines of the Kirikiri Custodial Centre during his incarceration. Yet, the investigation has taken a dramatic turn.
Details of the report, recently obtained by Sunday PUNCH, revealed that the panel revealed that Bobrisky’s reckless allegations have not only tarnished the image of the correctional service but also recommended that he face defamation and criminal charges.
In a further twist, the panel has urged the Department of State Services to launch an inquiry into whether Bobrisky, either directly or through a proxy, engaged in bribery involving the EFCC or the correctional service.
Should these bribery allegations be substantiated, Bobrisky could find himself facing serious charges for corrupt practices.
The report read, “The Nigerian Correctional Service should file defamation suits against Bobrisky under sections 373-375 of the Criminal Code Act for his false claims about bypassing the prison system, tarnishing the institution’s reputation.
“The DSS should be requested to investigate whether Bobrisky, directly or through a proxy, bribed EFCC or NCoS officials. If substantiated, Bobrisky should face charges under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act for bribing public officials.”
Adding to the mounting pressure, the panel has also indicted three correctional officers, including former Controller of Corrections Ben Rabbi-Freeman, recommending disciplinary action against them as per the Nigerian Correctional Service’s regulations.
Similarly, the Deputy Controller of Corrections, who was in charge of the Kirikiri Medium Security, Micheal Anugwa, who claimed during a parliamentary inquiry that he had not been suspended despite an official order from the Minister of Interior, was recommended for disciplinary action.
He was indicted for receiving Bobrisky into the Medium Security Custodial Centre without the relevant documentation on April 12, 2024, and without the necessary transfer documentation.
The panel further recommended an audit of all inmates and detainees in all custodial centres of the NCoS, their warrants, and other records, adding that a mechanism should be set up to do this and sustain it as an effective weekly oversight.