BOBRISKY: PANEL RECOMMENDS LIBEL, INCITEMENT CHARGES AGAINST VERYDARKMAN, CALLS FOR DSS PROBE OVER ALLEGED PHONE INTERCEPTION
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By: Muftau Fatimo
An Independent Investigative Panel established by the Federal Government to examine the detention conditions of crossdresser Okuneye Olanrewaju, popularly known as Bobrisky, has disclosed that he was held in a soundproof cell.
According to the panel, the former inmate was granted unusual privileges, including access to mobile phones while detained in two correctional facilities in Lagos.
It stated that the benefits extended to Bobrisky exceeded what is allowed under Nigerian correctional regulations.
The panel also recommended the prosecution of social media activist Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, over alleged violations of data privacy and claims of incitement.
Bobrisky was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment on April 12, 2024, for naira abuse and was released on August 5 after completing the jail term.
Weeks after his release, Very Dark Man shared an audio recording purportedly of a conversation between Bobrisky and another individual.
In the recording, Bobrisky allegedly claimed that he paid N15m to officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to drop money laundering charges against him.
He also allegedly stated that he bribed officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service to allow him serve his prison term in a private apartment rather than in custody.
The allegations sparked widespread public outrage, prompting the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to set up an investigative panel on September 30, chaired by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Magdalena Ajani, to probe the claims.
The panel’s report, which was recently submitted to the minister, detailed a litany of special treatment accorded to Bobrisky during his incarceration at both the Medium Security and Maximum Security Custodial Centres in Kirikiri, Lagos.
At the Medium Security Custodial Centre, the panel discovered that Bobrisky was accommodated in a specially designated single cell fitted with a private toilet and bathroom, a carpeted floor, a television set, a refrigerator, a humidifier and what it described as attractive electric lighting.
The panel further revealed that he was placed on a self-feeding arrangement, with his brother and sister-in-law permitted to supply his meals.
Bobrisky was also reportedly allowed unrestricted visits from family members and friends, both in frequency and number.
“Okuneye Idris was on self-feeding during his stay at the Maximum Custodial Centre. The panel is yet to establish whether the approval for this arrangement followed official procedures,” the report stated.
The privileges did not diminish at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre. There, Bobrisky’s cell was decorated with wallpaper and furnished with a big bed, carpet, humidifier and a television in an adjoining decorated room.
Also, a fellow inmate was assigned to attend to his personal needs.
The report noted that the assigned inmate had previously been attached to the Chief Warder’s office.
Bobrisky also reportedly received visitors as frequently as he desired and in whatever numbers he chose, with such visits conducted inside the office of the facility’s officer-in-charge, a privilege not available to ordinary inmates.
In both facilities, he was also transported in the operational vehicle of the Controller of Lagos State Command, accompanied by the State Controller himself.
“Transportation from medium-security to maximum-security Kirikiri with the operational vehicle of the then Controller of Lagos State Command and in the company of the State Controller,” it said.
One of the most troubling findings in the report was the discovery of a soundproofed door on Bobrisky’s private cell, Room A12, at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, a feature distinctly different from every other door on the same floor.
The panel said there was a need for a detailed investigation into the reason the cell door was padded, to determine what type of noise or sound was being concealed from other inmates.
It noted that such an inquiry would help establish whether the padding was linked to the alleged use of mobile phones or any other purpose.
The panel also maintained that it believed Bobrisky had access to and used mobile phones while in custody, despite regulations prohibiting such conduct.
Additionally, it recommended that the Department of State Services investigate whether Bobrisky, either personally or through intermediaries, offered bribes to officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission or the Nigerian Correctional Service, and that appropriate anti-corruption charges be pursued if the allegations are confirmed.
The panel further recommended that the NCoS file defamation suits against Bobrisky under Sections 373 to 375 of the Criminal Code Act, citing his “false claims about bypassing the prison system, tarnishing the institution’s reputation.”
On VDM, the panel recommended that he be charged with libel under Sections 373 to 375 of the Criminal Code for disseminating unverified claims that defamed government officials and agencies.
“Libel: Very Dark Man should be charged under Sections 373-375 of the Criminal Code for disseminating unverified claims that defamed government officials and agencies
The report recommended that VeryDarkMan be charged with libel under Sections 373–375 of the Criminal Code for allegedly circulating unverified claims that defamed government officials and institutions.
It further stated that he should also face prosecution for incitement under the Cybercrimes Act, which criminalises the dissemination of false information capable of undermining public confidence in public institutions.
On data privacy concerns, the report urged the Department of State Services to investigate whether VeryDarkMan unlawfully intercepted Bobrisky’s telephone conversations. If confirmed, it said he could be prosecuted under Section 37 of the Cybercrimes Act for illegal interception of communications.
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