The Federal Government has suspended four senior officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) over bribery allegations by the controversial cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye aka Bobrisky.
Bobrisky, who was released from prison a few weeks ago after serving a six-month jail term for abuse of the naira, had in a video shown by a blogger, Martins Otse aka VeryDarkMan, alleged that some Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officers demanded ₦15 million to drop the money laundering charges against him.
The commission’s chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had since set up a team of investigators to look into the allegation.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had also demanded an independent probe of the cross-dresser allegations, including claims that some NCoS officials allowed him to serve his prison time in a private residence instead of in a correctional facility.
However, Bobrisky has since denied the allegations and deleted all his posts on social media.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its Secretary, Ja’afaru Ahmed, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) said the suspension of the officers followed the release of a video on the matter.
He said the suspension of the quartet was to allow for further investigation of the allegations.
The statement read: “ Following the viral video trending on social media on alleged infractions by officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service relating to Mr. Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has suspended forthwith the following senior officers of the Service:
“i. Michael Anugwa, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), in charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kirikiri, Lagos State; and
“ii. Sikiru Adekunle, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), in charge of Maximum-Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kiri-kiri, Lagos State.
“Also, the Board has suspended ASC II Ogbule Samuel Obinna, serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Afikpo, Ebonyi State, for allegedly accompanying a convicted inmate out of the Custodial Centre to a location outside the facility.
“In another related development, the Board has equally suspended another Senior Officer of the Service, Iloafonsi Kevin Ikechukwu, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), In-Charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kuje- Abuja, for allegedly receiving monies on behalf of an inmate.”