The Federal Government has suspended several senior officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) amid serious bribery allegations involving controversial crossdresser Idris Okuneye, commonly known as Bobrisky, News About Nigeria reports.
The allegations surfaced after a blogger, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, released viral videos claiming that certain officers from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accepted N15 million from Bobrisky to drop money laundering charges against him.
These charges were linked to an incident in April, during which Bobrisky was later sentenced to six months in prison.
Otse further alleged that Bobrisky had paid additional sums to secure preferential treatment while incarcerated.
In response to these allegations, both Bobrisky and the EFCC have denied wrongdoing, with the EFCC and the NCoS launching investigations into the claims made by the blogger.
On Thursday, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board issued a statement confirming the suspensions.
Signed by Ja’afaru Ahmed, the statement stressed that the suspensions were necessary to facilitate thorough investigations into the allegations.
The Board assured the public that the findings would be disclosed upon completion.
The officers suspended include Michael Anugwa, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC) at the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) in Kirikiri, Lagos, and Sikiru Adekunle, DCC, at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) in the same region.
Additionally, ASC II Ogbule Samuel Obinna, stationed at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Afikpo, Ebonyi State, has also been suspended for allegedly escorting a convicted inmate outside the facility.
In a related development, another senior officer, Iloafonsi Kevin Ikechukwu, Deputy Controller of Corrections in charge of the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kuje, Abuja, was suspended for reportedly accepting money on behalf of an inmate.
