Representatives Inviting EFCC Chairman, VDM, Bobrisky Over Alleged Bribery

The House’s Joint Committees have invited Ola Olukoyode, the head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to testify in response to a resolution by the House of Representatives to look into bribery claims against the agency.

The committee sent a letter dated September 27, 2024, requesting that all personnel implicated in the claim, including the EFCC Chairman and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, attend on Monday, September 30, 2024.

A voice conversation between Idris Okuneye, a transvestite who was sentenced to six months in prison earlier this year for naira misuse, went viral on social media, leading to the allegation of bribery against the anti-graft agency and the Nigeria Correctional Service.

A voice conversation that went viral implied that Idris, also known by his stage name Bobrisky, paid the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) N15 million to dismiss the money laundering accusations against him and that he was instead housed in a luxury facility.

Bobrisky and Martins Otse, better known by his online handle Very Dark Man, who shared the audio tape, are also being invited by the House Committee.

Accusations of bribery and corruption involving her father and brother, Falz, have been related to Bobrisky’s alleged prison term; Folakemi Falana, who is the daughter of prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana, has strongly refuted the charges.

In response to the accusations made by VeryDarkMan, Folakemi labelled them unfounded and defamatory in an Instagram post.

“Two different letters from Falana & Falana on behalf of our clients, Femi Falana SAN and Folarin Falz Falana, give VDM 24 hours to retract his extremely defamatory statements or risk legal action,” the post’s caption read.

“It’s absolutely insane that when a completely absurd individual like VDM brings up allegations of bribery, corruption, and the distortion of justice against my dad and Falz, you immediately disregard their identities and the principles they uphold..”

Folakemi claims that her father and brother were involved in an internet rumour that social media activist VDM spread, which erroneously suggests that they helped Bobrisky get special treatment while in prison.

Additionally, she insisted they were associated with a purported plot to pay officials in exchange for a presidential pardon, a claim she has already disproven.

She went on to say that Bobrisky had gone to her brother Falz for financial help in order to get a VIP position at a prison event, but that Femi Falana had never spoken to him directly or through a middleman.

Idris Okuneye, better known by his stage name Bobrisky, has accused many commission officers of bribery, prompting Ola Olukoyede, the head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to conduct an urgent investigation into the matter.

In a video posted by blogger Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, Okuneye—who had previously served his sentence—claimed that many unidentified EFCC personnel had paid him ₦15 million to dismiss allegations of money laundering.

The head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), according to a statement released on Tuesday by spokesman Dele Oyewale, has assembled a team of detectives to probe the claims.

“In order to uncover the alleged bribery, the Commission is inviting Okuneye and Otse (VeryDarkMan) to appear before its Lagos Directorate to assist investigators,” he stated.

Following allegations made by blogger VeryDarkMan that certain EFCC officers stole 15 million from Bobrisky, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) called on the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to launch an impartial investigation and drop the money laundering charges against Bobrisky.

Afam Osigwe, president of the NBA, issued a statement demanding the immediate firing and prosecution of any EFCC officers found guilty.

Accusations of bribes to dismiss or downgrade charges are deeply troubling, the NBA stated. The question of whether bribes were or are sometimes offered in order to influence the type of charges that are levied against defendants in criminal proceedings requires an immediate and comprehensive inquiry.

Consequently, the NBA is putting pressure on the Nigerian jail Service (NCoS) to address the claim that Bobrisky did not actually serve his sentence in a jail facility and to be forthright about the circumstances under which he did so.

“If it turns out that he was permitted to serve his sentence outside of a correctional facility against the law and a court order, the officials and officers accountable should face prosecution and be removed from their positions.”

In addition, the NBA requested that the AGF and the NSA look into the claims on their own.

“We would like to request that the Attorney General of the Federation, the EFCC, and the Office of the National Security Adviser conduct separate investigations into the claims that a bribe was demanded in return for a government pardon and that a bribe was paid to have a prisoner served his sentence in a private residence rather than a correctional facility.

Weakening the basic basis of our criminal justice system and eroding public faith in it is the proposal that prisoners can spend their sentences in private dwellings and maybe even buy a pardon with a bribe.

If the accused are able to come clean about their involvement in this matter, it will be because of this probe. We need to make some serious adjustments to our methods of prosecution and corrections if these claims turn out to be true; they would show where our prison system falls short.

In order to keep an eye on the issue and make sure that everyone follows the rules, the NBA will select prominent lawyers to oversee the procedure, according to the statement.