- Safiu Kehinde
The Investigative Panel set up over alleged bribery of correctional officers and prison evasion by popular Nigerian crossdresser, Idris Okuneye (Bobrisky) has released report of their findings.
As against claims of the crossdresser spending his jail term outside the prison, the report released on Monday and shared on X confirmed that Bobrisky spent the jail term in prison.
However, the report admitted to several undue privileges enjoyed by the crossdresser while in prison.
According to the panel, there was no evidence that suggested that Bobrisky slept outside the Custodial Centre during the period of his imprisonment which was from 12th April 2024 to 5th August 2024.
Rather, the crossdresser was reportedly transferred from Ikoyi Custody Centre Lagos to the Medium Security Custodial Centre Kirikiri Lagos on the 12th of April 2024 and from the Medium Security Custodial Centre Kirikiri Lagos to the Maximum-Security Custodial Centre Kirikiri.
The transfer was aided by the former Lagos State Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Ben Rabbi-Freeman.
This according to the panel violated section 16(4)(a) and (b) of the Nigerian Correctional service 2019.
Meanwhile, the five-person panel confirmed several privileges enjoyed by Bobrisky among which include specially furnished single cells, humidifier, unlimited visitations by his family members and friends as he desired, visits by his family members and friends held inside the office of the in-charge of the custodial center, floor rug, self-feeding, designated inmate to run errands for him, access to fridge and television, and possibly access to his phone.
They, however, attributed the preferential treatment to the peculiarity of his physical look and behaviour.
The report read; “The Panel did not find any evidence thus far that suggested that Mr. Idris Okuneye slept outside the Custodial Centre during the period of his imprisonment which was from 12th April 2024 to 5th August 2024 which is 6 Months correctional sentence with the usual 1/3 remission.
“The decisions to transfer Mr. Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju from Ikoyi Custody Centre Lagos to the Medium Security Custodial Centre Kirikiri Lagos on the 12th of April 2024 and from the Medium Security Custodial Centre Kirikiri Lagos to the Maximum-Security Custodial Centre Kirikiri, Lagos on 22nd April 2024 were made by Mr. Ben Rabbi – Freeman who was then the State Controller Lagos State Command.
“The transfer of Mr. Okuneye Idris from the Medium Security Kirikiri Lagos to the Maximum-Security Kirikiri, Lagos being a first offender, violated section 16(4)(a) and (b) of the Nigerian Correctional service 2019.
“The Panel also found that Mr. Okuneye Idris enjoyed several privileges while in custody both at the Medium-Security and the Maximum-Security Custodial Centers which include specially furnished single cells, humidifier, lots of visitation by his family members and friends as he desired, visits by his family members and friends held inside the office of the in-charge of the custodial center, floor rug, self-feeding, designated inmate to run errands for him, access to fridge and television, and possibly access to his phone.
“The panel believes that the peculiar case of the inmate and the inmate physical look and behavior poses a threat and the lack of laid down rule for the treatment of such a case may have necessitated such privileges to be granted to Okuneye Idris.
“The Panel recommends that clear guidelines need to be set up to guide operations regarding such incidents in future. Steps should be taken to avoid the obvious discriminatory practices in relation to the socio-economic levels and other status of inmates.”