An investigative panel confirms Bobrisky served his jail term but raises concerns about his privileges during imprisonment.
An investigative panel established by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has confirmed that popular crossdresser Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky, completed his jail term.
According to reports, Bobrisky was sentenced to six months of imprisonment on April 12 for abusing the naira, with his release occurring in August.
Controversy surrounded Bobrisky’s imprisonment when social critic Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, shared an audio recording allegedly featuring Bobrisky.
In the voice note, Bobrisky claimed to have paid N15 million to officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to drop money laundering charges against him.
The audio further suggested that a “godfather” and staff members of the Nigerian Correctional Service facilitated his stay in a private apartment rather than in a standard prison facility.
In response to these allegations, Minister Tunji-Ojo constituted an investigative panel on September 30, chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Magdalena Ajani.
The panel was tasked with probing alleged corruption and violations within the Nigerian Correctional Service.
During the phase one report presentation on Monday, Uju Agomoh, a member of the panel and Executive Director of Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action, stated that the investigation found no evidence to suggest that Bobrisky had slept outside the prison during his sentence, which lasted from April 12, 2024, to August 5, 2024.
“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,” Agomoh stated.
The report detailed that Bobrisky was transferred from the Kuje Custodial Centre to the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri-Apapa, Lagos, and then to a Maximum Security Custodial Centre, from which he was discharged after serving his sentence.
However, the panel highlighted that Bobrisky enjoyed several privileges while in custody, including furnished single cells, access to humidifiers, numerous visits from family and friends, self-feeding, and even designated inmates to run errands for him. The report also noted that he had access to a fridge, television, and potentially his phone.
While the panel found these privileges concerning, it indicated that Bobrisky’s transfer to a maximum security facility as a first offender violated Sections 164A and 164B of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019.
Agomoh stated, “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 recommended the establishment of clear guidelines to address such cases in the future, aiming to eliminate discriminatory practices based on inmates’ socio-economic status and other personal attributes.