THE Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into bribery allegations and other corrupt practices within the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
He gave the instructions in a statement shared by his media aide, Babatunde Alao, on Wednesday, September 25, in Abuja.
This followed a bribery allegation by a crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, otherwise known as Bobrisky, in a viral video shared by a self-acclaimed activist, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, against some of the NCoS officers and their counterparts in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The minister vowed that the ministry would ensure its core values would not be compromised.
“The ministry will not tolerate any compromise on its core values of integrity, transparency, and accountability. We will leave no stone unturned in rooting out corruption and ensuring that those found culpable face the full wrath of the law,” he said.
The minister however ordered a special investigative team, headed by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Magdalene Ajani, to probe the allegations and submit a comprehensive report.
He further reassured the public that the investigation would be impartial, rigorous and transparent while disciplinary actions would be taken against any officers found guilty.
The ICIR reported that EFCC summoned Bobrisky and VeryDarkMan after the latter’s video of Bobrisky claiming the crossdresser gave some officers of the commission 15 million naira to drop the money laundering charges against him.
Reacting to the viral video, Bobrisky claimed that the news was false and that he never bribed the EFCC officers.
“My attention has been drawn to a fake voice recording circulating on the internet that I paid EFCC 15 million naira and that I was never in prison. I didn’t pay any EFCC (officer) money, it is a very big lie. I served my term in full and I came out. Discard any false information,” he said.
In April, Bobrisky was
arrested and detained by the EFCC in Lagos and was sentenced to six months without an option of a fine for abusing the Nigerian naira.
However, in August, he
regained freedom and was released from the Kirirki Correctional Centre. Upon his release, he urged Nigerians to desist from spraying the naira, the offence that took him to jail.
Multimedia journalist covering Entertainment and Foreign news
