Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, is a well-known crossdresser who has served out his jail sentence, according to an investigation panel established by Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Bobriksy was found guilty of naira abuse on April 12 and given a six-month prison sentence. He was freed from prison in August.
A voice note purportedly belonging to Bobrisky was leaked by controversial social critic Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, who claimed that she paid N15 million to some officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in order to have the money laundering accusation against him dropped.
Bobrisky further stated in the recording that a “godfather” and Nigerian Correctional Service employees made sure he was housed in a private apartment rather than a prison cell for the duration of his six-month term.
The Minister authorized an investigation into the suspected corruption and other infractions against the Nigerian Correctional Service on September 30. The panel was chaired by Magdalena Ajani, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior.
The panel’s Executive Director and creator of Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action, Uju Agomoh, read the panel’s phase one findings on Monday and stated that there was no proof that Bobrisky slept outside the prison walls following her sentencing.
He stated, “The panel has not yet discovered any evidence that Mr. Okuneye slept outside the custodial center during his six-month correctional stay, which ran from April 12, 2024, to August 5, 2024.”
He stated, “The panel has not yet discovered any evidence that Mr. Okuneye slept outside the custodial center during his six-month correctional sentence with the usual remission applicable, which took place from April 12, 2024, to August 5, 2024.”
Bobrisky was moved from the Kuje Custodial Center to the Medium Security Custodial Center in Kirikiri-Apapa, Lagos, during this time, according to Agomoh. She was then taken to the Maximum Security Custodial Center, where she was released once her term was served.
According to him, Bobriksy had a number of benefits while incarcerated in both Custodial Centers, including furnished single cells, a humidifier, and frequent visits from friends and relatives.
However, the panel found that sections 164A and 164B of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019 were broken by the crossdresser’s transfer to a maximum security institution as a first offender.
“The panel also found that Mr. Okuneye Idris enjoyed a number of privileges while in custody, both at the Medium Security and the Maximum Security Custodial Centers,” he continued. “These privileges include, in particular, furnished single cells, a humidifier, self-feeding, a designated inmate to run errands for him, access to a refrigerator and television, and possibly access to his phone.”
“More research is required to determine whether the aforementioned privileges granted to Okuneye Idris were driven by financial gain and stemmed from dishonest correctional officer behavior.”
The panel feels that the convicts’ unusual situation, as well as their physical characteristics and behavior, present a threat, and that the absence of established guidelines for handling such a case may have made it necessary to grant Okunenye Idris these privileges.
The panel suggests that precise rules be established to direct operations in the event of similar occurrences in the future. It is important to take precautions against overt discriminatory practices based on the socioeconomic position and other characteristics of prisoners.
