By Oladisun Amosun
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has denied the involvement of any of its operative in the N15 million bribery scandal involving the controversial transgender figure Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky.
The agency also warned of the dangers inherent in shady characters falsely vilifying an accomplished anti-graft concern such as the Commission.
In his presentation at an Investigative Hearing of the joint committee of the House of Representatives, the Chief of Staff to the EFCC chairman Michael Nzekwe who denied the bribery allegation, urged the House to employ every means available to it to get to the root of the matter, so that dedicated security personnel are not unduly rubbished, thereby lowering their moral and dedication to the Commission.
He pledged the EFCC commitment to on it’s part search inward and ensure that appropriate action is taken if the accusation is either confirmed or otherwise.
The EFCC was alleged to have in a tape gone viral on the social media to have demanded and obtained the bribe money in order to drop the money laundering aspect of Bobrisky’s charges leading to prosecution which led to a six month prison sentence for the controversial figure.
The investigative Hearing also involved the Nigeria Correctional Service NCS that was similarly implicated in the bribery accusation in posts gone viral by social media influencer Martin’s Otse, who initially refused to testify before the committee as principal actor in the matter Bobrisky was absent
He later relented and added credence to his earlier stance that throughout his purported stay in prison, Bobrisky never spent a night in the cell, but through conivance with NCS officials was quartered in a cozy accommodation nearby the correctional facility in Lagos.
The joint Committees on Financial Crimes and Reformatory Institutions chaired by Hon. Obinna Ginger engaged all parties present at Hearing, leading to startling Revelations.
The Deputy Controller of Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), Mr. Michael Benson Agunwa who was reportedly suspended via a statement issued through the Secretary of Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), Ja’afaru Ahmed, described the announcement as “social media suspension”.
The purported suspension was announced by the CDCFIB barely 12 hours after the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo initiated a probe into the allegations against some of the NCS officers.
When asked whether he’s under suspension, he said: “No letter was given to me to that effect,” adding that “there was a press release on the national dailies and news that I and my Colleagues have been suspended, if this is true and I have a letter to this effect
then I will not appearing here in uniform
When asked about the category of inmates usually remanded in the Medium Prison, Mr. Agunwa who affirmed that the Court warrant declared Bobrisky as “Male”, disclosed replied that those m convicted for first offenders, minor offenders or when there’s overflow at the Maximum prison.