The House of Representatives Committee tasked with investigating allegations of corruption involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) is scheduled to visit the Lagos offices of both agencies on Monday, October 21, 2024.
These allegations were brought to light by the controversial figure Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky, through a recorded phone conversation that was later shared by social media influencer Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan.
Ginger Onwusibe, the Chairman of the investigating committee, informed journalists on Monday that the committee’s visit to Lagos is part of its ongoing investigation.
On October 1, the panel interrogated officials from the EFCC, NCoS, and VeryDarkMan regarding claims that Okuneye allegedly paid N15 million to have money laundering charges against him dismissed.
Okuneye was convicted on April 5, 2024, by the Federal High Court in Lagos and received a six-month prison sentence for naira abuse.
He was released on August 5, 2024, amidst allegations of having received special treatment during his time in custody.
In response to these developments, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, initiated an investigation and ordered the immediate suspension of Michael Anugwa, the Deputy Controller of Corrections overseeing the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri, Lagos State, as well as Sikiru Adekunle, the Deputy Controller of Corrections in charge of the Maximum Security Custodial Centre in the same location.
During the panel’s questioning, Otse presented an audio recording in which Bobrisky purportedly claimed that he did not spend time in a prison facility but rather resided in a private apartment throughout his incarceration, allegedly after paying a substantial sum of money.
Officials from the EFCC and NCoS who participated in the investigative hearing refuted these allegations.
A week following his initial appearance, Otse published another audio recording in which Okuneye purportedly stated that he had paid N5 million in advance to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in an effort to obtain a Federal Government pardon concerning money laundering charges brought against him by the EFCC.
He indicated that the unidentified SAN had originally demanded N10 million for his legal representation but clarified that he (Bobrisky) was unable to gather the complete sum due to the EFCC freezing his account.
In the audio, the crossdresser allegedly said, “Truth be told, I won’t lie to you, you’re my person. I’m not in prison, but I’m around there. They got me an apartment because of my godfather. My godfather was able to say, Never, you will not smell that prison. Let the world think that, but you will never.
“So, he was able to talk to the Deputy Controller who said that as long as Bob is not posting or saying anything, they can put me close to the place so I can always come inside and see people, and welcome my family. Nobody needs to know.
“I’m supposed to finish my sentence by July, but if we get the amnesty, I could leave by the first week of next month. The SAN asked for N10m, which I could have transferred, but my account is frozen. My godfather gave me N5m and we sent it to the SAN two weeks ago. He has already submitted the pardon request.”
Prior to consenting to participate in the investigative hearing, VeryDarkMan created a significant stir by asserting that he would not respond to inquiries from the panel or the media until Bobrisky, who allegedly made the accusations, was also compelled to address the public.
It required the entreaties of his attorney, Deji Adeyanju, along with the committee members, to persuade him to reconsider his stance after receiving assurances that Bobrisky would likewise be given the opportunity to present his account during a public hearing.
In an interview with The PUNCH on Monday regarding the timeline for inviting Bobrisky for questioning, Onwusibe, the representative for Isiala Ngwa North/Isiala Ngwa South Federal Constituency of Abia State, indicated that a date would be established once the committee returned from its visit to Lagos.
“We are visiting the correctional centre in Lagos and the EFCC office in Lagos on Monday next week (October 21). After our visit, we shall resume hearing,” he said.
