There are indications that controversial crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, may face fresh criminal charges over claims that he served his jail term in a private apartment and bribed officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to drop money laundering charges against him.
According to reports a panel set up to investigate the claims recommended that he should face defamation and criminal charges.
Bobrisky was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment on April 12 for abusing the naira. He was released from prison on August 5.
A few weeks after his release, controversial social critic, Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, shared a voice note of a conversation purportedly between Bobrisky and another person, where the crossdresser allegedly stated that he bribed EFCC officers with N15m to drop money laundering charges against him. He also claimed to have bribed officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service to serve his six-month sentence in a private apartment.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, subsequently constituted an investigation panel, chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Magdalena Ajani, on September 30, to probe the claims.
The panel, while presenting its report, said there was no evidence that Bobrisky slept outside the Kirikiri Custodial Centre during his six-month sentence.
The panel also asked the Department of State Services to investigate whether, directly or through a proxy, he bribed the EFCC or the correctional service.
If the allegations of bribery by Bobrisky are substantiated, the panel said he should be charged with corrupt practices.
The panel also indicted four correctional officers who were recommended for disciplinary action as outlined in the NCoS’s condition of service, civil service, and applicable laws.
One of those recommended for sanctions is a former Controller of Corrections, Ben Rabbi-Freeman.
He was accused of “effecting the transfer of Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju without proper documentation of Form 5 and Form 5A from the Medium-Security Custody Centre to the Maximum-Security Custodial Centre on April 22, 2024, after over four months of the transfer date, and after the inmate had ended his imprisonment term; backdating the transfer documentation in relation to 1a and 1b above.
