- Nigerian transgender woman Bobrisky, known as Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, was sentenced to six months for naira abuse in April, but only spent three weeks in prison.
- Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, revealed that Bobrisky served her sentence outside prison after paying N15 million to the EFCC for’money laundering’ charges dismissed.
- The recent revelations have sparked discussions about corruption within Nigerian prisons, prompting Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to call for an unconditional investigation into bribery and corruption allegations.
Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, widely recognized as Bobrisky, a Nigerian transgender woman, reportedly served only three weeks of her six-month prison sentence for naira abuse, which was handed down in April, as reported by FIJ NG.
Recently, a social media user named Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, disclosed a phone conversation in which Bobrisky confessed to completing her sentence outside of prison after allegedly paying N15 million to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to have money laundering charges against her dropped.
This disclosure has reignited conversations regarding corruption within Nigerian prisons, prompting Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to demand an “unconditional and comprehensive investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption” within the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Sources familiar with the matter informed FIJ that although Bobrisky was initially taken to Kirikiri in April following her sentencing, she was released after just three weeks and officially freed in August.
A prison official stated, “Bob spent only three weeks here with us in Kirikiri before she was taken out to another place we don’t know. That was where she spent her time; it was an ‘arrange thing’. And money was involved.”
The source further elaborated that Bobrisky received preferential treatment during her incarceration, noting, “She was guarded like a president,” and mentioned that she resided in a special cell. They confirmed the legitimacy of the payment she referred to.
These assertions are consistent with findings from a 2019 undercover investigation conducted by FIJ founder ‘Fisayo Soyombo, which revealed that it was possible to pay for luxuries such as furnished cells and the ability to smuggle in prohibited items while imprisoned.
An incident involving a video call underscored the peculiar circumstances surrounding Bobrisky’s imprisonment, as a fellow inmate inadvertently recorded her during a call, resulting in severe repercussions for him.
Confusion ensued when James Brown, another crossdresser, claimed to have visited her.
