The Federal Government investigative panel on popular cross dresser, Idris Okuneye, known also as Bobrisky submitted its reports to the Minister of Interior , Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo on Monday, saying that it did not find evidence to prove Okuneye served his time outside the prison walls.
The panel, which was set up by the Minister three weeks ago, had the responsibility of investigating allegations that Bobrisky didn’t spend his time in prison but paid some officials of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) to evade spending his term behind their facility.
The panels headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Magdalene Ajani also had Dr Uju Agomoh, the Executive Director and founder of Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) as its Secretary.
Agomoh, who submitted the summary of a 109-page report to the Minister on Monday, dismissed the allegations that Bobrisky spend his terms outside the prison facility but admitted that Okuneye used a special cell while incarcerated and had inmates running errands for him.
The panel said Okuneye enjoyed special privileges such as a single cell, frequent visits, access to a humidifier, fridge, television and possibly a phone.
Okuneye has come under public scrutiny after an audio clip shared on social media by Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, went went viral. Otse claimed that the audio clip contained Okuneye detailing how he enjoyed privileges with the help of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a godfather, Haliru Nababa; the controller general of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), and other friends.
Reacting to the development, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, set up an investigative panel.
Magdalena Ajani, permanent secretary of the interior ministry, led this panel on ‘Alleged Corruption and Other Violations Against the Nigerian Correctional Service’.
Reading the panel’s preliminary findings, Agomoh said they “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 the 5th August 2024, which is a six-month correctional sentence with the usual remission applicable.
“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 also expressed belief that “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 Okuneye Idris.”
The panel also said transferring Okuneye from Kirikiri Medium Security Prison to the Maximum Security Prison was in violation of Section 164A and Section 164B of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019.
Earlier, an online newspaper, FIJ had reported that Bobrisky spent only three weeks in prison after receiving a six-month sentencing for naira abuse in April.
