The Federal Government has launched an investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption within the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), following claims involving popular social media influencer Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky.
This was revealed in a statement by Babatunde Alao, media aide to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Wednesday.
The investigation stems from allegations made by Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, who released an audio recording in which Bobrisky allegedly confessed to bribing officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with N15 million, as well as the Controller General of the NCoS, Haliru Nababa, to avoid serving his prison sentence.
In response, Tunji-Ojo expressed his firm condemnation of the alleged misconduct, warning that corruption and unprofessional behaviour within the service would be dealt with severely.
“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,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He has directed a special investigative team, headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations and submit a detailed report.
The Minister also reassured the public that the probe would be transparent, impartial, and conducted with the utmost rigor. Those found guilty will face appropriate disciplinary action.
Bobrisky, in an Instagram post on Wednesday, denied the allegations, claiming the audio recording is fake.
He wrote, “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 money; it is a very big lie. I served my term in full and I came out. Discard any false information.”
Bobrisky was released from Kirikiri Correctional Centre on August 5, after serving six months in custody. He was jailed by a Federal High Court in Lagos in April after pleading guilty to charges related to naira abuse, as filed by the EFCC.
