The Nigerian government has ordered a comprehensive investigation into bribery allegations within the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior in a statement on Wednesday, through his media aide, Babatunde Alao, said he unequivocally condemned the alleged reprehensible behaviour.
The directive came after VeryDarkMan, the activist, shared a video online wherein Bobrisky claimed she bribed some Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials with N15,000,000 to drop the money laundering charges against her.
The crossdresser, whose birth name is Idris Okuneye, was released from prison on August 5 after she was sentenced to six months on April 12 for abusing the naira.
But in the footage, the crossdresser claimed her “godfather” alongside Haliru Nababa, the controller general of the NCoS, ensured she served the six-month sentence in a private apartment, and not the prison.
“On my way to prison, my godfather called and assured me I wouldn’t enter prison. He told me not to worry and said he would arrange an apartment near the prison and speak to the Comptroller General of Prisons in Abuja,” she had said in the viral clip.
Bobrisky would later deny the bribery claim, arguing that the viral recording was “fake”. The social media celebrity also insisted that “I served my term in prison”
The crossdresser’s denial came after the EFCC invited her and VeryDarkMan over bribery allegations against its officials.
However, the Minister while condemning the development also emphasized that any form of indiscipline, unprofessionalism, and corruption will be met with zero tolerance and severe consequences within the paramilitary services under the Ministry’s purview.
“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.
The Minister was said to have called for a special investigative team headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, to probe these allegations and submit a comprehensive report.
He reassured the public that the investigation will be rigorous, transparent, and impartial, and that appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken against any personnel found guilty.