The investigative panel assigned to probe allegations that cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, has submitted its report, dismissing claims that he was kept out of the custodial centre while serving his six-month prison sentence.
The panel which however , confirmed that Bobrisky received certain privileges during his time behind bars , called for outright investigation to find out if the privileges provided were financially motivated and based on corrupt practices.
Reading the panel’s report at the Ministry of Interior, the executive director and founder of Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) and a panel member of the panel, Agmoh Uju, stated that there was no evidence to support the accusation that Bobrisky stayed outside prison during his sentence, which lasted from April 12, 2024, to August 5, 2024.
Agomoh said, “The panel did not find any evidence thus far that suggested Mr. Okuneye slept outside the custodial center during the period of his imprisonment.” She clarified that Bobrisky served his six-month correctional sentence with the usual remission applicable to such cases.
The committee , however , faulted the cross-dresser’s transfer to a maximum security facility as a first offender, stating that it violated Section 164A and Section 164B of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019.
“The panel believes that the peculiar case of the inmates and the inmates’ physical look and behaviour pose a threat, and the lack of laid-down rules for the treatment of such a case may have necessitated such privileges to be granted to Okunenye Idris.”
In his response , the minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, promised not to bury the findings submitted by the investigative panel but make it public, emphasising that they have nothing to hide.
Tunji-Ojo expressed gratitude to the panel for its prompt response and commitment to the task, stating that the report would be followed by action.
He said, “We can’t afford to fail Mr. President and Nigerians at large, nor are we ready to truncate the nation’s promising future.”
He added that any officer implicated in the report would undergo the necessary disciplinary process and be punished accordingly.
His words, “This particular committee was set up three weeks ago, and we promised that the report would be ready in two weeks and that we would make it public.
“This is because we have nothing to hide; for us, this is about reforms, cleaning up processes, and ensuring we build strong institutions that will outlive each and every one of us. We recognise that the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) is a key institution within our judicial system.
“Furthermore, within the national security architecture, the NCoS is crucial. Therefore, any form of maltreatment, cruelty, corruption, abuse of power, or torture resulting in inhumane and degrading treatment will never be accepted.”
The minister added that the conclusion of the report marks the beginning of the second phase because, “We must reform and create a service that is corrective, transformational, and rehabilitative in nature—one that is not condemnatory and does not destroy inmates, but a service that rebuilds inmates and gives them a second chance at life.
“Furthermore, within the national security architecture, the NCoS is crucial. Therefore, any form of maltreatment, cruelty, corruption, abuse of power, or torture resulting in inhumane and degrading treatment will never be accepted.
“We should consider expanding the committee to enhance our ability to address and rectify any wrongdoings within the correctional service effectively,” he stated.
