The Nigerian government has suspended two officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) over bribery allegations involving Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky.
The suspension was announced in a statement on Thursday by Ja’afaru Ahmed, Secretary to the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB).
This follows the release of an audio clip earlier in the week, where Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, shared a recording of Bobrisky claiming to have bribed EFCC officials with N15 million to dismiss money laundering charges against him. In the recording, Bobrisky also alleged that his “godfather,” along with Haliru Nababa, the Controller General of the NCoS, ensured that he served his six-month sentence in a private apartment instead of a prison facility.
Bobrisky, who was sentenced on April 12 for naira abuse and released from prison on August 5, has since denied the bribery claims, labeling the audio as “fake.”
The recording sparked widespread reactions, with many Nigerians calling for an investigation into the involvement of EFCC and NCoS officials. In response, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, launched an inquiry into the allegations on Wednesday.
Ahmed’s statement explained that the officers’ suspension is intended to facilitate further investigation into the claims, assuring that the findings would be made public. The suspended officers include Michael Anugwa, Deputy Controller of Corrections at Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) in Kiri-kiri, Lagos; Sikiru Adekunle, Deputy Controller of Corrections at Maximum-Security Custodial Centre, Kiri-kiri; and ASC II Ogbule Samuel Obinna of MSCC in Afikpo, Ebonyi State, who allegedly escorted a convicted inmate outside the facility.
Additionally, Iloafonsi Kevin Ikechukwu, Deputy Controller of Corrections at MSCC in Kuje, Abuja, was also suspended for allegedly receiving money on behalf of an inmate.
