Kehinde Fajobi
Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, may face fresh legal trouble over allegations that he bribed officials to bypass proper detention and drop charges.
The Nigerian crossdresser, who completed a six-month sentence on August 5 for abusing the naira, was accused of paying off officials to serve his term outside prison and to escape charges.
The allegations surfaced when social critic Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, shared a voice note allegedly featuring Bobrisky. In the recording, Bobrisky reportedly claimed he bribed Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officers with ₦15 million to dismiss money laundering charges. He also allegedly stated he bribed Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) staff to allow him to serve his sentence in a private apartment.
Following these claims, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordered an investigation. A panel led by Magdalena Ajani, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, reviewed the case and, in its report, found no evidence that Bobrisky served time outside the Kirikiri Custodial Centre. The report concluded that Bobrisky’s statements had “tarnished the image of the correctional service with false claims.”
The panel recommended that Bobrisky face defamation charges under sections 373-375 of the Criminal Code Act, citing his alleged false claims of bypassing prison, which damaged the NCoS’s reputation.
The panel further requested the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate if he bribed EFCC or NCoS officials directly or indirectly. If substantiated, Bobrisky could be charged under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.
The report also implicated four NCoS officers in irregularities surrounding Bobrisky’s custody transfer.
Former Controller of Corrections Ben Rabbi-Freeman was cited for “effecting the transfer of Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju without proper documentation from the Medium-Security Custody Centre to the Maximum-Security Custodial Centre on April 22, 2024.” Other officers, including Deputy Controller of Corrections Michael Anugwa, faced allegations of handling the transfer without proper records.
Additional recommendations in the report included an audit of all inmate records across NCoS facilities to ensure compliance. The panel also suggested “decommercialising all welfare and support services to inmates” and enhancing partnerships with civil society organisations to provide oversight.
“Facilitate the effective implementation of non-custodial measures across the entire country to help reduce the number of people in custodial centres by utilising imprisonment only as a last resort,” the report concluded, urging a more comprehensive approach to prison management.