On Monday, the House of Representatives conducted a thorough inquiry into the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) regarding claims that the agencies received bribes from the well-known cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, following his conviction for naira abuse in April.
During the proceedings, officials from both the EFCC and the NCoS vehemently denied the bribery allegations. The EFCC dismissed assertions that Bobrisky had paid N15 million to have money laundering charges against him dismissed, while the NCoS maintained that Bobrisky had indeed served his sentence at the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre, countering claims that he was held in a private residence.
Bobrisky was convicted by the Federal High Court in Lagos on April 5, 2024, and sentenced to six months in prison for naira abuse. He was released on August 5, 2024, amid controversy surrounding allegations of receiving special treatment during his incarceration due to his celebrity status.
Last week, social media influencer Martins Otse, widely recognized as VeryDarkMan, shared an audio recording that he alleged was made by Bobrisky. In the recording, Bobrisky claimed that following his conviction and sentencing, an unidentified godfather, in conjunction with the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, facilitated an arrangement for him to serve his six-month sentence in a private residence.
In the audio shared by VDM, Bobrisky was purportedly heard claiming that he paid as much as N15 million to officials of the EFCC to have the money laundering charges against him dropped.
In response to these allegations, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, initiated a probe and ordered the immediate suspension of Michael Anugwa, the Deputy Controller of Corrections responsible for the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri, Lagos State, along with Sikiru Adekunle, the Deputy Controller of Corrections overseeing the Maximum Security Custodial Centre in the same area.
Furthermore, last week, the House of Representatives decided to summon Bobrisky, VDM, as well as representatives from the EFCC and the NCoS for questioning regarding the issue.
During his appearance before the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Monday, Anugwa recounted that when Bobrisky was admitted to the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos, he refused to eat the provided prison meals, opting instead to make his own arrangements for food. He emphasized that this practice is permitted under Nigerian law.
When questioned about why Bobrisky was housed in a separate cell from other inmates, Anugwa explained, “Upon Bobrisky’s admission, we noticed he had two distinct features. We were uncertain where to place him, for example, he had breasts. Consequently, he was assigned to Room 2 in B Ward. This decision aligns with global best practices as endorsed by the United Nations.”
Regarding Bobrisky’s transfer to the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Anugwa stated, “Friends of Bobrisky provided plastic chairs and delivered them to the centre. Due to the intense media attention surrounding him, it became necessary to relocate him to Kirikiri for security reasons.”
When asked whether the donation of chairs could have played a role in Bobrisky’s transfer from Ikoyi to Kirikiri, Anugwa refrained from commenting but noted that it is customary for inmates to make donations to authorities while in custody.
He refuted the allegation that Bobrisky was held outside the confines of a correctional facility, asserting, “Bobrisky was admitted on April 13, with a valid warrant and a transfer order from the Ikoyi Correctional Facility.
The warrant was presented to me on the same day as his conviction. His biometric data was recorded the following day, as he arrived around 10:30 PM. Bobrisky spent 10 days at the medium correctional centre before being transferred to the maximum facility because he refused to eat the prison meals and subsequently requested permission for self-feeding, which was granted.
He designated two individuals, Abiola Okuneye and Moji Okuneye, to bring his food to the facility. During the admission process, we noted that although Idris is male, he possesses unique features such as breasts that prevented us from placing him in the general population. We decided to house him in a separate cell. While there, he received a total of 39 visitors.”
Supporting Anugwa’s statements, Ben-Rabbi Freeman, the Assistant Controller General of the NCoS overseeing the Kirikiri Maximum Security Centre, confirmed that he personally transported Bobrisky to Kirikiri in his official vehicle.
“The transfer from Ikoyi to Kirikiri was strictly for security reasons. The inmate (Bobrisky) was taken to the maximum facility in my official car,” Freeman stated.
When asked if he was on suspension, the Deputy Controller elicited prolonged laughter at the investigative hearing when he said he learned about his fate via a press release. “The suspension was in the form of a press release,” he said.
When pressed further to clarify his position, Anugwa added, “It was a social media suspension, sir,” a remark that sent the audience into another bout of laughter.
However, the NCoS, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Umar Abubakar, labeled Anugwa’s actions as an attempt to mislead the public.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Nigerian Correctional Service suspended not only the said officer in the video but three other officers following their alleged roles in various misconducts to allow for further investigation. The suspended officers include the officer in charge of the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos, Deputy Controller of Corrections Sikiru Adekunle; the officer in charge of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos, Deputy Controller of Corrections Michael Anugwa; the officer in charge of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, FCT command, DCC Kevin Ikechukwu Iloafonsi; and Assistant Superintendent of Corrections Ogbule Samuel Obinna of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State,” Abubakar said.
VeryDarkMan Addresses Allegations
In a recent session, VeryDarkMan, who had initially refused to comment unless Bobrisky was present, ultimately decided to speak after persuasion from committee members and his attorney, Deji Adeyanju.
During his testimony, VeryDarkMan disclosed to the investigating committee that the audio recording he possesses was obtained from an individual who had lent Bobrisky a sum of N4 million.
“Bobrisky claimed he had a godfather. I don’t know if that godfather is here, so I will present my evidence one at a time as I have more audio recordings,” he said.
Update from Bobrisky’s Legal Counsel
Bobrisky’s attorney, Avwerosuoghene Omuvwie, addressed the House panel, explaining that his client was unable to attend the session due to health issues.
The committee, however, was not satisfied with this explanation and requested medical documentation to verify the claim. Committee member Patrick Umoh (PDP, Akwa Ibom) stressed that the panel would not accept any frivolous excuses moving forward future, stating, “We hope that the next time we invite him, he will be well.”
EFCC Addresses Allegations
In the meantime, Michael Nzekwe, Chief of Staff to the EFCC Chairman, who represented his superior at the investigative hearing, provided clarification on the decision to drop money laundering charges against Bobrisky. He stated that the charges were dismissed because Bobrisky had admitted guilt in his confessional statement.
Nzekwe urged the House to “use its constitutional power to ensure that corruption and other vices are exposed, investigated, and prosecuted, and also to ensure that patriotic and dedicated officers are not blackmailed, demonized, and demoralized for faithfully serving and carrying out their lawful duties.”
“The commission has been consistent in its advocacy, calling on the public with credible information on alleged acts of corruption involving any of its officers to come forward with evidence. The public is urged to do so responsibly.
Short of the ex-convict and other accusers openly naming the officers of the commission to whom they allegedly gave the bribe of N15m in order to influence the dropping of counts 5 and 6 of the charge bordering on money laundering, it is reasonable to infer that the ex-convict merely made up the story to convince the yet-to-be-identified person he was speaking with to obtain financial favors under false pretenses by dropping the name of the commission.
“We wish to draw the attention of the Honorable House to the fact that the onus of proving this grievous allegation against officials of the commission rests squarely on the accusers in this case: the ex-convict and VeryDarkMan. It is noteworthy that the commission extended an invitation to both the ex-convict and VeryDarkMan to assist in unraveling the identities of the officers of the commission to whom the alleged bribe of N15n was paid,” the EFCC stated.
Committee Chairman’s Directive
The Chairman of the Committee, Ginger Onwusibe, announced that at the next meeting, the individual who recorded the audio should be present before the committee. Following this announcement, the session was adjourned indefinitely.
