Bobrisky served sentence in prison, but enjoyed special privileges -Panel

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A panel set up by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to investigate the controversies surrounding the six months jail of popular crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly called Bobrisky, has concluded its report, affirming that though Bobrisky completed his jail inside the prison, he enjoyed special privileges.

The panel stated, however, that the special privileges may have been influenced by exhange of money.

Indeed, Bobrisky was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, for naira abuse and the court sentenced hom to six months in prison on April 12, 2024. He was released in August.

However, several controversies have dogged Bobrisky’s jail when social critic Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, shared a voice note where Bobrisky allegedly claimed to have paid N15 million to officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to drop money laundering charges against him. Also, in the audio, Bobrisky allegedly indicated that a “godfather” and members of the Nigerian Correctional Service helped him serve his sentence in a private apartment rather than in prison.

This came to a climax when the Minister, Tunji-Ojo, on September 30, 2024, set up a panel to investigate the allegations of corruption and other violations within the Nigerian Correctional Service. He appointed Magdalena Ajani, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, to chair the panel.

At the reading of the panel’s phase one report on Monday, Uju Agomoh, a panel member and the Executive Director of Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action, said there was no evidence by the panel to support claims that Bobrisky slept outside the prison during his sentence.

According to the report, “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, which was from 12th April 2024 to 5th August 2024, a six-month correctional sentence with the usual remission applicable.”

However, the transfer of Bobrisky from the Ikoyi Custodial Centre to the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri-Apapa, Lagos, and later to the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, where he was eventually discharged after completing his.sentence, showed that Bobrisky enjoyed special privileges while in custody.

These privileges, the panel explained, included furnished single cells, access to a humidifier, frequent visits from family and friends, self-feeding, designated inmates to run errands for her or him, and possibly access to a fridge, television, and a phone.

The panel faulted transferring Bobrisky to a maximum security facility as a first-time offender, saying this violated Sections 164A and 164B of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019.

“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 stated.

However, the panel observed that the unique circumstances of inmates like Bobrisky, along with their appearance and behavior, pose challenges for correctional centres, which may indicate the need for established guidelines for handling such cases.

The panel recommended the development of clear protocols to prevent discriminatory practices related to inmates’ socio-economic status and other factors in the future.

The minister, Tunji-Ojo, assured that the report would be used and all indicted officials would face appropriate disciplinary measures.

He stressed the government is commited to reforming the correctional service to make it a rehabilitative and corrective institution, rather than a punitive one.

According to him, “This report marks the beginning of a broader reform process. We will ensure that those responsible are held accountable, and the necessary actions are taken to build a service that rehabilitates inmates and gives them a second chance at life.”