Bobrisky: Minister probes bribery allegations in Nigerian prisons

The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed an unconditional and comprehensive investigation into the allegations of bribery and corruption in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

The Special Adviser to the minister, Babatunde Alao, made this known in a statement on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

Alao quoted Tunji-Ojo as condemning the alleged reprehensible behaviour, emphasising that any form of indiscipline, unprofessionalism, and corruption would be met with zero tolerance and severe consequences within the paramilitary services under the ministry’s purview.

The minister said: “The ministry will not tolerate any compromise on its core values of integrity, transparency, and accountability.

“We will leave no stone unturned in rooting out corruption and ensuring that those found culpable face the full wrath of the law.”

Meanwhile, Tunji-Ojo has constituted a special investigative team headed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Magdalene Ajani, to probe the allegations and submit a comprehensive report.

Minister orders probe of inmates’ poor feeding at Calabar prison

Tunji-Ojo reassured Nigerians that the investigation would be rigorous, transparent, and impartial, adding that appropriate disciplinary actions would be taken against any personnel found guilty.

The latest development comes after popular cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, well known as Bobrisky, was alleged to have offered sum amount of money to evade his jail term at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos State following his conviction for naira abuse.

A bribery allegation was levelled against Bobrisky by social media influencer, Martins Vincent Otse, fondly called VeryDarkMan, saying the cross-dresser also offered N15 million to the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to drop money laundering charges against him.

Bobrisky however denied the allegations in a post shared on his social media accounts on Wednesday, September 25, saying he served his jail term and did not offer money to the EFCC officers.

“My attention has been drawn to a fake voice recording circulating on the internet that I paid EFCC 15 million naira, and that I was never in prison… I didn’t pay any EFCC money is a very big lie. I served my term in full and I came out. Discard any false information,” the controversial celebrity wrote.

The Star