The Federal Government of Nigeria has established a committee to investigate serious allegations of misconduct against the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) made by the well-known crossdresser Idris Okuneye, popularly referred to as Bobrisky.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, inaugurated the independent investigative panel on Monday. “We want to really reform the correctional service. Your core responsibility is to investigate specific allegations of corruption, torture, and mistreatment of inmates by correctional officers, especially the immediate one on Bobrisky which I expect to be out in two weeks,” he stated, as reported by the ministry.
Emphasizing the need for transparency, the minister added, “We will rely on your legal guidance to be sure that whatever we do is in line with the law of the land. We will rely on you to be able to come up with the way forward, as well as facts that would be made public to Nigerians. I want to say this very clearly, nobody will be shielded. Nobody, no matter how highly placed, will be shielded.”
The committee will be chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Magdalene Ajani. Other members of the panel include Omotese Eva (Mrs.), Director Legal; Nasir Usman, Director of Joint Services; Dr. Uju Agomoh, President of Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) and a former Board Member of the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA); and Dr. Ikechukwu Ezeugo, a consultant at Human Rights Radio and a forensic researcher with over 27 years of experience in corporate leadership and social impact.
Earlier, the minister, who also chairs the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), suspended several officers overseeing both the maximum and minimum custodial centers in Kirikiri, Lagos State, following Bobrisky’s allegations.
A phone recording featuring Bobrisky was leaked by blogger Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, in which the crossdresser claimed he did not serve his sentence appropriately.
Bobrisky was sentenced to six months in prison for naira abuse; however, the leaked conversation implied that he had spent his time in a VIP facility rather than in a traditional prison.
In light of these developments, the House of Representatives has invited VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky, and other parties involved to provide further clarification on the allegations.
