The Federal Government has announced the creation of an independent investigative panel to address claims of corruption and breaches of protocol within the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS).
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, inaugurated the panel in Abuja, while calling for transparency and accountability.
One key focus is the recent allegation involving convicted cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky.
It is claimed that some correctional officers provided alternative accommodation for him, prompting deeper scrutiny of the service.
The Minister, who also leads the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board, previously suspended officers at the Kirikiri Maximum and Minimum Custodial Centres in Lagos due to alleged misconduct surrounding Bobrisky’s case.
The investigative panel, led by Dr. Magdalene Ajani, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, has been tasked with examining corruption, torture, and mistreatment allegations within the correctional system.
The panel is expected to present its findings within two weeks and propose long-term solutions to prevent future occurrences.
The government aims to reform the correctional service, ensuring systemic issues are addressed and that justice prevails without bias.
“We want to reform the correctional service. Your core responsibility is to investigate specific allegations of corruption, torture, and mistreatment of inmates by correctional officers, especially the immediate one on Bobrisky which I expect to be out in 2 weeks.
“We will rely on your legal guidance to be sure that whatever we do is in line with the law of the land. We will rely on you to be able to come up with a way forward, as well as facts that would be made public to Nigerians. I want to say this very clearly, nobody will be shielded. Nobody, no matter how highly placed, will be shielded”, Tunji-ojo said.
The committee comprises Omotese Eva (Mrs.), Director Legal; Nasir Usman, Director, Joint Services; Dr. Uju Agomoh, President, Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) who is a former Board Member of the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA); and Dr. Ikechukwu Ezeugo, Human Rights Radio consultant, a Forensic Researcher and Social Impact Expert with over 27 years experience in corporate leadership.
