It has been clarified by the Nigeria Correctional Service that Bobrisky, the controversial cross-dresser also known as Idris Okuneye, has not been moved from the Ikoyi custodial centre to Kirikiri Prison in Lagos State, contrary to previous reports.
Earlier speculations suggested that Bobrisky had been discreetly transferred to Kirikiri Prison to serve out his six-month sentence for the abuse of the naira notes.
However, an official from the NCoS, speaking to PUNCH Metro on Thursday, revealed that Bobrisky is still being held at the Ikoyi prison facility.
The official, who requested anonymity as per restrictions on discussing the matter, mentioned that Bobrisky’s offense did not warrant his transfer to a maximum security prison like Kirikiri, where inmates serving life or death sentences are typically housed.
According to the source, “Bobrisky has not been moved, he is still here in Ikoyi. He was not sentenced to death and didn’t get a life sentence either. Those people sentenced to death and given life sentences are mostly kept in the maximum prison. That is mostly based on capital punishment. As for Bobrisky, he didn’t commit a capital offence, so why would they take him to Kirikiri.”
Another unnamed official mentioned that while there were discussions regarding the possible relocation of inmates between various facilities in the state for decongestion purposes, no concrete decisions had been made yet.
The NCoS official explained that such moves were primarily aimed at reducing overcrowding within certain facilities. Factors like inmate population, health conditions, proximity to family, or humanitarian reasons could influence decisions to relocate individuals.
The source further added, “Sometimes, when we discover that the population of inmates is much in a facility, we decide to move them just to decongest. We are only considering that at the moment and not that anyone has been moved. If the prison authorities want to move, they have the right. We also do so if the person has a communicable disease or because the inmate requested it for proximity to the family or an appeal on humanitarian grounds.”
Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the Lagos State Command of the NCS, Rotimi Oladokun, were unsuccessful as calls went unanswered and a text message remained unresponded to at the time of reporting.
PUNCH Metro reported that Bobrisky, sharing a cell with male inmates, underwent an examination upon admission, which confirmed no physical alterations in gender or genital organs.
An official source noted that Bobrisky had been complying with the rules and procedures of the facility.
Bobrisky was apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on April 3, 2024, following allegations of naira notes abuse during an event in Lagos. He later pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced on April 5, 2024.
The charges filed against him by the EFCC included naira abuse and alleged money laundering.
Before his conviction, Bobrisky expressed remorse and promised to educate his social media followers about the laws concerning naira abuse after pleading guilty to the charges brought against him.