Despite the controversy surrounding popular cross dresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky’s term in prison, an investigative panel set up by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has given him a clean bill.
The panel on Monday stated that Bobrisky completed his jail term.
The cross dresser was sentenced to six months imprisonment on April 12, 2024 for abusing the Naira and was released on August 5, 2024.
The minister had on September 30. 2024 set up an investigative panel chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Magdalena Ajani, and ordered a probe into the alleged corruption and other violations against the Nigerian Correctional Service.
This was after a social media influencer, Martin Otse, otherwise known as Verydarkman had released a video which alleged that Bobrisky had influence his time in prison by paying N15 million to officers of the Federal Correctional Centre to get preferential treatment.
While releasing the phase one report of the panel on Monday, the Executive Director and founder of Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action, Uju Agomoh, who is a member of the panel, said the panel found no evidence that Bobrisky slept outside the prison walls after he was sentenced.
He said the panel did not find any evidence that suggested that Mr Okuneye slept outside the custodial centre during the period of his imprisonment, which was from 12th April 2024 to 5th August 2024, which is a six-month correctional sentence with the usual remission applicable.
Agomoh said during this period, Bobrisky was transferred from the Kuje Custodial Centre to the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri-Apapa, Lagos, and then to the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, from where he was discharged after the completion of his sentence.
He, however, disclosed that Bobriksy enjoyed several privileges while in both Custodial Centres, which include furnished single cells, humidifier, and lots of visits by his family members and friends.
The panel, however, said the cross-dresser’s transfer to a maximum security facility as a first offender violated Section 164A and Section 164B of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019.
He stated: “The panel also found that Mr. Okuneye Idris enjoyed several privileges while in custody, both at the Medium Security and the Maximum Securigty Custodial Centres, which include, especially the following: furnished single cells, humidifier, lots of visits by his family members and friends as he desired, self-feeding, designated inmates to run errands for him, access to fridge and television, and possibly access to his phone.
“It is necessary to further investigate if the above privileges provided for Okuneye Idris were financially motivated and based on corrupt practices by correctional officers.
“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.
The panel recommended that going forward, clear guidelines need to be set up to guide operations regarding such incidents. It also said steps should be taken to avoid the obvious discriminatory practices in relation to the socio-economic levels and other status of inmates.
Lagos human rights Lawyer, Femi Falana, had taken Verydarkman to court on libel charges and has obtained a judgment with the court awarding in his favor the sum of N500 million in damages.