The House of Representatives Committee investigating corruption allegations against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) is set to visit the Lagos offices of both agencies on Monday, October 21, 2024. This follows claims made by controversial crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, who alleged he paid large sums of money to avoid prison time.
The committee, led by Chairman Ginger Onwusibe, is probing Bobrisky’s claim that he was able to avoid serving a six-month prison sentence by staying in a private apartment near the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, thanks to financial payments and influence. The allegations emerged in a recorded conversation obtained by social media influencer, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.
Bobrisky was convicted on April 5, 2024, for abusing the naira and was supposed to serve his sentence in Kirikiri prison. However, he regained freedom on August 5 amid claims of preferential treatment. It is alleged that Bobrisky paid N15 million to influence the outcome of his case and avoid incarceration. He allegedly told Otse, “My godfather was able to say, Never, you will not smell that prison… Let the world think that, but you will never.”
VeryDarkMan, while presenting evidence to the panel, claimed that Bobrisky paid a Senior Advocate of Nigeria N5 million as part of an effort to secure a federal pardon. The EFCC and NCoS officials have denied the allegations, but the committee is set to conduct a thorough investigation.
“We are visiting the correctional centre in Lagos and the EFCC office in Lagos on Monday next week (October 21). After our visit, we shall resume hearing,” Onwusibe said.
The investigation comes amid a broader look at allegations of corruption in the EFCC and Nigeria’s prison system, following public outrage over Bobrisky’s alleged preferential treatment.
