Bobrisky: HoReps grills EFCC, NCoS officials over bribery allegations

The House of Representatives, on Monday, grilled officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Nigerian Correctional Service  over allegations that the two agencies were bribed by controversial cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, alias Bobrisky, following his conviction and sentencing for abuse of the naira in April.

During the hearing, both the EFCC and the NCoS officials denied the bribery allegations. The EFCC refuted claims that Bobrisky paid N15 million to have the money laundering charges against him dropped, while the NCoS insisted that Bobrisky served his term at the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre and not in a private apartment as alleged.

Bobrisky was convicted on April 5, 2024, by the Federal High Court in Lagos and sentenced to six months in prison for abuse of the naira. On August 5, 2024, the self-acclaimed “Mummy of Lagos” regained his freedom amid allegations of receiving preferential treatment while in custody due to his fame as a media personality.

Last week, a social media influencer, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, released an audio recording purportedly made by Bobrisky, in which he claimed that after his conviction and sentencing, an unnamed godfather, in collaboration with the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, arranged for him to serve his six-month sentence in a private apartment.

In the audio shared by VDM, Bobrisky was alleged to have claimed that he paid as much as N15m to EFCC officials to drop the money laundering charges against him.

Following these allegations, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordered a probe and the immediate suspension of the Deputy Controller of Corrections in charge of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos State, Michael Anugwa, and the Deputy Controller of Corrections in charge of the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos State, Sikiru Adekunle.

Additionally, last week, the House of Representatives resolved to invite Bobrisky, VDM, the EFCC, and the NCoS for questioning over the matter.

Appearing before the Reps Joint Committee on Monday, Anugwa stated that when Bobrisky was brought to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, he refused to eat the prison rations, preferring to make personal arrangements for his feeding. He added that this practice is guaranteed under the nation’s laws.

On why Bobrisky was kept in a different cell away from other inmates, Anugwa explained, “During the admission of the inmate (Bobrisky), we discovered that he had two features. We did not know where to place him because, for instance, he had breasts. We had to take him to Room 2 in the B Ward. This is also in line with global best practices as approved by the United Nations.”

Regarding Bobrisky’s transfer to the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Anugwa said, “Friends of Bobrisky bought plastic chairs and brought them to the centre. There was so much media hype that he had to be moved to Kirikiri for security.”

When asked if the donation of chairs could have influenced Bobrisky’s movement from Ikoyi to Kirikiri, Anugwa declined to comment, but added that it is a tradition for inmates to make donations to authorities while in custody.

He denied the allegation that Bobrisky was held outside the walls of a correctional facility, stating, “Bobrisky was admitted on April 13, with a valid warrant and a transfer order from Ikoyi Correctional Facility. The warrant was given to me the same day of his conviction. The biometric was taken the next day because he came around 10:30 PM. Okuneye spent 10 days at a medium correctional centre and was moved to maximum because he refused to eat the prison food and then applied for self-feeding, which was approved. Bobrisky nominated two people to bring his food to the facility, Abiola Okuneye and Moji Okuneye. During the admission, we discovered that Idris, though a man, had special features like breasts that would not allow us to put him in the general cell. We agreed to put him in a separate cell. While he was there, he had a total of 39 visitors.”

Echoing Anugwa’s position, the Assistant Controller General of NCoS in charge of the Kirikiri Maximum Security Centre, Ben-Rabbi Freeman, said he transported Bobrisky to Kirikiri in his official car.

“The transfer from Ikoyi to Kirikiri was purely for security purposes. The inmate (Bobrisky) was taken to the maximum facility in my official car,” Freeman said.

When asked if he was on suspension, the Deputy Controller elicited prolonged laughter at the investigative hearing when he said he learned about his fate via a press release. “The suspension was in the form of a press release,” he said.

 When pressed further to clarify his position, Anugwa added, “It was a social media suspension, sir,” a remark that sent the audience into another bout of laughter.

However, the NCoS, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Umar Abubakar, labeled Anugwa’s actions as an attempt to mislead the public.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Nigerian Correctional Service suspended not only the said officer in the video but three other officers following their alleged roles in various misconducts to allow for further investigation. The suspended officers include the officer in charge of the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos, Deputy Controller of Corrections Sikiru Adekunle; the officer in charge of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos, Deputy Controller of Corrections Michael Anugwa; the officer in charge of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, FCT command, DCC Kevin Ikechukwu Iloafonsi; and Assistant Superintendent of Corrections Ogbule Samuel Obinna of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State,” Abubakar said.

VeryDarkMan apeaks on allegation

Meanwhile, VeryDarkMan, who initially declined to speak unless Bobrisky was produced, later agreed to comment after committee members and his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, urged him to have a change of mind.

Speaking on his allegations, VeryDarkMan told the investigating committee that he obtained his audio recording from someone who lent Bobrisky N4m.

“Bobrisky claimed he had a godfather. I don’t know if that godfather is here, so I will present my evidence one at a time as I have more audio recordings,” he said.

Also speaking, Bobrisky’s lawyer, Avwerosuoghene Omuvwie, informed the House panel that his client could not honor the invitation due to ill health.

However, this did not sit well with the committee, which demanded medical proof to support the claim. A committee member, Patrick Umoh (PDP, Akwa Ibom), warned that the panel would not entertain frivolous excuses in the future, stating, “We hope that the next time we invite him, he will be well.”

EFCC defends allegation

Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff to the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, Michael Nzekwe, who represented his principal at the investigative hearing, explained why the commission dropped money laundering charges against Bobrisky. According to him, the charges were dropped because Bobrisky had pleaded guilty in his confessional statement.

He urged the House to “use its constitutional power to ensure that corruption and other vices are exposed, investigated, and prosecuted, and also to ensure that patriotic and dedicated officers are not blackmailed, demonized, and demoralized for faithfully serving and carrying out their lawful duties.”

“The commission has been consistent in its advocacy, calling on the public with credible information on alleged acts of corruption involving any of its officers to come forward with evidence. The public is urged to do so responsibly.

“Short of the ex-convict and other accusers openly naming the officers of the commission to whom they allegedly gave the bribe of N15m in order to influence the dropping of counts 5 and 6 of the charge bordering on money laundering, it is reasonable to infer that the ex-convict merely made up the story to convince the yet-to-be-identified person he was speaking with to obtain financial favors under false pretenses by dropping the name of the commission.

“We wish to draw the attention of the Honorable House to the fact that the onus of proving this grievous allegation against officials of the commission rests squarely on the accusers in this case: the ex-convict and VeryDarkMan. It is noteworthy that the commission extended an invitation to both the ex-convict and VeryDarkMan to assist in unraveling the identities of the officers of the commission to whom the alleged bribe of N15n was paid,” the EFCC stated.

The Chairman of the Committee, Ginger Onwusibe, however, indicated that at the next meeting, the person who recorded the audio should appear before the committee, while the meeting was adjourned sine die.

The Punch