The recent revelation that a popular Nigerian cross dresser, Idris Okuneye, alias Bobrisky, who was sentenced to six months imprisonment for abuse of the naira was kept in a private facility in Lagos instead of the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, has further exposed the endemic corruption in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS). According to available reports, some prison officials were allegedly bribed to facilitate the evil and condemnable deal. However, the authorities of the NCoS had swiftly denied the allegation. Despite the spirited denial of the alleged misconduct by the NCoS, some officials of the correctional service were reportedly suspended.
Okuneye was arraigned in April this year at the Federal High Court, Lagos on six counts charge for naira abuse and alleged money laundering. However, the presiding judge, Justice Abimbola Awogboro, dismissed the money laundering charges and sentenced him to six months in prison for naira abuse without the option of a fine. On 5th August, he regained his freedom after completing the sentence. But weeks after his release, he was again enmeshed in another controversy over bribery allegations against officials of the anti-graft agency.
Popular Nigerian content creator and social media influencer, Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, had alleged via a leaked video that the cross-dresser spent his jail term in a private apartment in Lagos after his godfather had contacted the prison authorities. In the leaked audio, it was alleged that Bobrisky paid N15 million to some officials of the anti-graft agency to drop charges of money laundering levelled against him.
The House of Representatives had intervened in the matter where startling revelations were made by the parties involved in the raging scandal. Consequently, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tinji-Ojo ordered a thorough investigation into the allegations of bribery within the NCoS. It is good that the report of the comprehensive investigation into the allegations of bribery and misconduct within the NCoS will be ready next week.
The minister who stated this at the launch of the report on the situation of children and young adults deprived of liberty in Nigeria in Abuja during the week said: “there must be penalties for actions.” He also confirmed the suspension and replacement of an officer implicated in the scandal. “The correctional centres cannot continue to be a point of disgrace to the Nigerian government. We cannot allow the actions of a few to destroy the integrity of the generality of the institution,” the minister stated.
Without preempting the outcome of the special investigation over the bribery allegations against prison officials, we call on the Federal Government to ensure that all those involved in this scandal are adequately sanctioned. The corruption in the nation’s custodial system is legendary. The Okuneye case may be one among many others yet to be revealed. Beyond the current investigation, the minister of interior should beam his searchlight on the other correctional centres across the country where things like this might be going on without being reported.
The argument by the Public Relations Officer of the NCoS, Abubakar Umar, that Okuneye was given an appropriate cell where he was kept because of his ambivalent gender is not convincing enough. This is the time to rid the NCoS of many bad eggs. The incessant jailbreaks and other unsavoury incidents in many correctional centres in the country occur mainly because of having many corrupt officials within the system.
The NCoS should have standard treatment for all convicted prisoners and prison inmates, who are still awaiting trial. No convicted criminal will be given preferential treatment on account of his gender or his connection with those at the helm of affairs. Officials of the NCoS should at all times abide by the global best practices of administering custodial centres. Any deviation from the norm will not be tolerated. Even the idea of having special or VIP cells outside the correctional facilities is odious and must not be condoned.
The report of the comprehensive investigation ordered by the minister should be made public. The recommendations of the panel must be fully implemented. There should be no sacred cows in handling this matter. All those implicated in the matter, including officials of the anti-graft agency must be given adequate punishment. It is only by punishing the perpetrators of crime that others will fear to tread the evil path. On no account should this matter be swept under the carpet.