Controversial crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, could face contemporary legal prices over claims that he served his jail time period in a personal residence and bribed officers of the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee to drop cash laundering prices in opposition to him.
Sunday PUNCH solely gathered {that a} panel set as much as examine the claims really helpful that he ought to face defamation and legal prices.
Bobrisky was sentenced to 6 months’ imprisonment on April 12 for abusing the naira. He was launched from jail on August 5.
Just a few weeks after his launch, controversial social critic, Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, shared a voice be aware of a dialog purportedly between Bobrisky and one other particular person, the place the crossdresser allegedly said that he bribed EFCC officers with N15m to drop cash laundering prices in opposition to him. He additionally claimed to have bribed officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service to serve his six-month sentence in a personal residence.
The Minister of Inside, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, subsequently constituted an investigation panel, chaired by the Everlasting Secretary of the ministry, Magdalena Ajani, on September 30, to probe the claims.
The panel, whereas presenting its report, mentioned there was no proof that Bobrisky slept outdoors the Kirikiri Custodial Centre throughout his six-month sentence.
Particulars of the report, solely obtained by Sunday PUNCH on Friday, said that Bobrisky tarnished the picture of the correctional service with false claims.
The panel additionally requested the Division of State Providers to analyze whether or not, straight or by way of a proxy, he bribed the EFCC or the correctional service.
If the allegations of bribery by Bobrisky are substantiated, the panel mentioned he must be charged with corrupt practices.
“The Nigerian Correctional Service ought to file defamation fits in opposition to Bobrisky beneath sections 373-375 of the Prison Code Act for his false claims about bypassing the jail system, tarnishing the establishment’s status.
“The DSS must be requested to analyze whether or not Bobrisky, straight or by way of a proxy, bribed EFCC or NCoS officers. If substantiated, Bobrisky ought to face prices beneath the Corrupt Practices and Different Associated Offences Act for bribing public officers,” the report partly learn.
The panel additionally indicted 4 correctional officers who had been really helpful for disciplinary motion as outlined within the NCoS’s situation of service, civil service, and relevant legal guidelines.
A kind of really helpful for sanctions is a former Controller of Corrections, Ben Rabbi-Freeman.
He was accused of “effecting the switch of Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju with out correct documentation of Type 5 and Type 5A from the Medium-Safety Custody Centre to the Most-Safety Custodial Centre on April 22, 2024, after over 4 months of the switch date, and after the inmate had ended his imprisonment time period; backdating the switch documentation in relation to 1a and 1b above.
“Inflicting the in-charge Ikoyi Custodial Centre, in-charge Medium-Safety Custodial Centre, and in-charge Most-Safety Custodial Centre to signal backdated switch paperwork in relation to Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju.”
As well as, the Deputy Controller of Corrections who was in control of the Kirikiri Medium Safety, Micheal Anugwa, who claimed throughout a parliamentary inquiry that he had not been suspended regardless of an official order from the Minister of Inside, was really helpful for disciplinary motion.
He was indicted for receiving Bobrisky into the Medium Safety Custodial Centre with out the related documentation on April 12, 2024, and with out the mandatory switch documentation.
“DCC Balogun Sikiru (retd) — previously in-charge of Most Safety Custodial Centre for receiving Bobrisky into the Most Safety Custodial Centre with out the related documentation on April 22, 2024, and with out the mandatory switch documentation, and DCC Sikiru Kamoru Adekunle who was in control of the Most Safety Custodial Centre for backdating the switch documentation in relation to receiving of Okuneye Idris into the Most Safety Custodial Centre on April 22, 2024, which was a interval he was but to renew because the in-charge of the Most Safety Custodial Centre.”
The panel additional really helpful an audit of all inmates and detainees in all custodial centres of the NCoS, their warrants, and different information. It requested {that a} mechanism be arrange to do that and maintain it as an efficient oversight weekly.
It demanded “decommercialisation of all welfare and assist companies to inmates with speedy impact and guaranteeing that ample funding and oversight are put in place to make sure the continuation of those. This will even embrace constructing sustainable partnerships with civil society organisations (instance, with related NGOs {and professional} associations) on some or all of those.”
“Facilitate the efficient implementation of non-custodial measures throughout the whole nation to assist scale back the variety of folks in custodial centres by utilising imprisonment solely as a final resort,” the report added.
Particular services in custodial centres
A senior administration officer of the NCoS instructed Sunday PUNCH that what folks known as VIP therapy for sure prisoners was a particular facility that had existed for years.
In keeping with the high-ranking officer, custodial centres have completely different services and prisoners’ situations (well being, age, intercourse) decide which facility they keep in to serve their jail time period.
The officer mentioned, “There are completely different services within the custodial centres throughout the nation, and it isn’t misplaced to deal with among the prisoners in accordance with their well being situations, intercourse, age, and class of the sentence. Importantly, the jail authority additionally considers human rights and the therapy of the prisoners.
“The case of Bobrisky is an eye-opener for us. The NCoS authority confirmed that he’s a girl from the center upward, whereas he’s a person from the center downward. We had by no means had such an individual in our custody, and there’s no facility for such a scenario. He needed to be positioned in a separate cell in order that he wouldn’t be abused. That facility is what he ignorantly known as a personal residence.
“Whether or not VIP or not, the situation of a prisoner will decide the ability he/she goes to remain in. We will’t put a prisoner who has hypertension in a cell with out sufficient air flow.”
Activists make case for crossdressers
Okuneye’s case has sparked debate on human rights and recognition of crossdressers, transgenders, and transsexual people within the nation’s legal guidelines, establishments, and services.
Some activists, who spoke with Sunday PUNCH, argued that the federal government and its establishments ought to concentrate on the presence of those people and make provisions for them.
The activists imagine that sexual orientation is a part of the human rights to be revered by the Nigerian authorities.
An activist, Femi Adeyeye, mentioned the Kirikiri Custodial Centre the place Bobrisky served his jail time period was not befitting of his sexual orientation.
Adeyeye urged the Federal Authorities to respect the rights of people no matter their sexual orientation. He additionally known as on the federal government to offer particular services for transgender inmates.
“A particular cell for transgender individuals is a welcome improvement; it’s one thing the federal government ought to look into,” he said.
One other activist, Michael Adaramoye, famous that the Nigerian society had not come to phrases with the fact of a rising transgender inhabitants.
Nonetheless, Adaramoye mentioned, “Whereas we should recognise the appropriate of people to sexual freedom, so long as it doesn’t infringe on the rights of others, we should even be delicate to the considerations of different members of society.
He advocated the supply of services to accommodate transgender people in prisons and cells.
“You will need to be aware that our correctional centres are organised in a method that dehumanises inmates. Below such vicious situations, it’s tough for any constructive character reform to happen. The jail system in Nigeria is in dire want of deep reform and overhaul,” the activist added.
Additionally, human rights lawyer, Toyin Taiwo-Ojo, mentioned the Federal Authorities’s place on homosexuality was ambiguous.
“The Nigerian authorities should re-evaluate Bobrisky’s detention and take into account the long-term implications of their choices,” she concluded.