The Nigerian Correctional Service(NCS) on Monday denied that ex-convict, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky served his sentence in an apartment outside the custodial facility in Lagos due to financial inducements.
Deputy Controller in charge of Maximum Correctional centre Kirikiri Lagos, Micheal Beson Anukwa, said this at the investigative hearing House of Representatives Joint Committees over allegations of corruption against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS) in the prosecution of Bobrisky.
This followed the release of a recording by a social media personality, Martins Otse popularly known as Very Dark Man that Bobrisky bribed Correctional Service personnel to avoid serving his time in the correctional facility.
According to the recording released by VDM, the EFCC were also bribery to drop the charge of money laundering against Bobrisky.
While testifying before the Committee, Anukwa insisted that Bobrisky was not at any point held in a facility outside the Correctional center.
He said Bobrisky was only moved from the Kirikiri medium correctional facility to the maximum facility where he was kept in a special cell for his safety from other inmates.
He said Bobrisky’s case was a special case because he was a transgender and he had to treated as such could not be put together with others.
He said due to Bobrisky’s feminine features like breasts and hips, they could not risk putting him with other inmates.
Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, concurred with this submission .
Representative of the EFCC, Bilikisu Buhari, said the allegations of money laundering was dropped based on Bobrisky’s confessional statement on naira abuse in court.
She said it is within their power to amend charges.
“There was no form of financial inducement to any member of the commission. All we did was in line with the core values of the commission,” she said.
The Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the EFCC also concurred with Buhari’s submission.
Speaking on his allegations, Verydarkman told the Committee that he got his audio recording from someone who borrowed N4m from Bobrisky.
According to him he had more audio evidence against Bobrisky and would present it at the right time.
Bobrisky’s lawyer Averosoghene Omuvwie told the Committee that his client could not honour the invitation due to Illness.
The Committee frowned at this and demanded he must appear at the next hearing.
The Chairman of the Committee, Ginger Onwusibe, however said that at the next meeting the person who made the audio recording must also appear at the next hearing .
