Interior Minister Orders Probe Of Alleged Bribery In Correctional Service

A full and unrestricted investigation into the claims of corruption and bribery within the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has been ordered by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

The minister’s communications aide, Babatunde Alao, revealed this in a statement on Wednesday and stated that the minister strongly denounced the alleged repugnant behaviour.

There will be harsh repercussions for any type of indiscipline, unprofessionalism, or corruption in the paramilitary services that fall under the Ministry’s authority, the Minister stressed.

Keeping to its principles of honesty, openness, and responsibility is something the Ministry will not budge on. “We will not rest until we have eradicated corruption and brought those responsible to justice,” Tunji-Ojo declared.

The Minister reportedly requested that Dr. Magdalene Ajani, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, head a special investigation team to examine the claims and provide a comprehensive report.

He reassured the public that the inquiry will be thorough, open, and unbiased, and that any employees found guilty will be disciplined accordingly.

A video was posted by blogger Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in which Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, accused a senior officer of the Nigeria Correctional Service of bribing.

Bobrisky further stated in the now-viral clip that he had paid EFCC officials N15 million to dismiss the money laundering charges against him.

Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), reacted in a statement on Tuesday saying the matter had been assigned to a team of investigators by the Commission’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.

After completing his six-month sentence, Bobrisky was released from Kirikiri Correctional Centre on August 5.

His guilty plea to a naira misuse charge brought against him by the EFCC resulted in his April incarceration without the possibility of a fine by a Federal High Court in Lagos.