Bobrisky faces new charges over alleged bribery, private jail term

Controversial Nigerian crossdresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, may face new criminal charges amid allegations of serving his jail term in a private apartment and bribing officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to drop money laundering charges against him.

IDOMA VOICE previously reported that Bobrisky was sentenced to six months in prison on April 12 for abusing the naira and was released on August 5.

On September 30, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, established an investigative panel chaired by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Magdalena Ajani, to examine allegations of corruption and other violations within the Nigerian Correctional Service related to Bobrisky’s release.

This investigation was prompted by a video shared by controversial activist VeryDarkMan, in which Bobrisky allegedly claimed to have bribed EFCC officials with N15 million to have the money laundering charge against him dropped. He also purportedly stated that he bribed Nigerian Correctional Service officials to serve his six-month sentence in a private apartment.

In the video, a voice believed to be Bobrisky’s claimed that a “godfather,” along with Haliru Nababa, the controller general of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), facilitated his arrangement to serve his sentence outside of prison.

However, the panel’s report found no evidence that Bobrisky spent any time outside the Kirikiri Custodial Centre during his sentence. According to details obtained by Sunday PUNCH, the panel has recommended that Bobrisky face defamation and criminal charges for his statements.

The report stated that Bobrisky’s claims had damaged the reputation of the correctional service and urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate whether he bribed EFCC or NCoS officials, either directly or through a proxy. If substantiated, he could be charged under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.

The report indicated, “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, which tarnished the institution’s reputation.”

Additionally, three correctional officers, including a former Controller of Corrections, Ben Rabbi-Freeman, have been recommended for disciplinary action. Rabbi-Freeman is accused of improperly transferring Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju without the required documentation from the Medium-Security Custodial Centre to the Maximum-Security Custodial Centre on April 22, 2024, after the inmate’s sentence had ended.

Similarly, Deputy Controller of Corrections Micheal Anugwa, who oversaw the Kirikiri Medium Security facility, faces disciplinary action for admitting Bobrisky without the necessary documentation on April 12, 2024.

DCC Balogun Sikiru (retd), who was in charge of the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, is also implicated for accepting Bobrisky into custody without proper documentation, along with DCC Sikiru Kamoru Adekunle, who is accused of backdating transfer documents regarding Bobrisky’s entry into the facility.

The panel further recommended an audit of all inmates and detainees in NCoS custodial centers to ensure proper record-keeping. It also called for an overhaul of welfare and support services for inmates and the implementation of non-custodial measures nationwide to reduce the prison population, suggesting that imprisonment should be a last resort.