THE Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has confirmed the interception of popular crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky, at the Seme border while attempting to flee Nigeria.
This development followed his increasing public scrutiny over recent controversies surrounding his six-month jail term at the Nigerian Correctional Service.
In a statement released on Monday, October 21, the NIS revealed that Bobrisky was arrested while attempting to flee Nigeria and was undergoing interrogation.
The statement emphasised that the social media influencer would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation.
Allegations by an activist, Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, had surfaced online alleging that while serving his sentence for abusing the naira, Bobrisky had bribed some prison officials and others to enable him to stay outside the prison.
He was said to have paid millions of naira to some senior prison officers.
The allegations prompted the minister of interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to set up an investigative panel chaired by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Magdalena Ajani.
The minister ordered a comprehensive investigation into the alleged corruption and other violations against the Nigerian Correctional Service.
While confirming some of the allegations, the panel stated that Bobrisky had access to special privileges during his incarceration, including a private cell, frequent visits, and access to electronic devices.
Reading the panel’s phase one report on Monday, October 21, the executive director and founder of Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Uju Agomoh, a member of the panel, said the panel found no evidence that Bobrisky slept outside the prison walls.
“The panel did not find any evidence thus far that suggested that Mr Okuneye slept outside the custodial centre during the period of his imprisonment, which was from 12th April 2024 to 5th August 2024, which is a six-month correctional sentence with the usual remission applicable”, she said.
Agomoh stated that Okuneye enjoyed special privileges such as a single cell, frequent visits, access to a humidifier, fridge, television, a phone and many visits from his family members and friends.
“The panel believes that the peculiar case of the inmates and the inmates’ physical look and behaviour pose a threat, and the lack of laid-down rules for the treatment of such a case may have necessitated such privileges to be granted to Okunenye Idris,” she added.
However, Agomoh pointed out that Bobrisky being moved from a medium facility to a maximum security facility as a first offender violated Section 164A and Section 164B of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M