Fresh allegations have emerged surrounding the incarceration of popular Nigerian crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky.
Chief Babalola Shabi, the traditional ruler of Kirikiri Town in Lagos, has accused officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service of colluding with Bobrisky to provide him luxury treatment during his prison term.
Speaking during a town hall meeting organized by the Lagos State Police Command as part of National Police Week, Chief Shabi claimed that Bobrisky smuggled eight ATM cards into the Kirikiri correctional facility.
He allegedly used the cards to transfer N35 million through local Point of Sale (POS) operators to bribe prison staff.
According to the Baale, Bobrisky never truly served his sentence behind bars but was instead kept in a private residence arranged by corrupt correctional officers.
“Everyone thought he was in prison, but he was comfortably living outside,” Shabi said, adding that he uncovered the scheme after summoning POS agents in the area and notifying the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which later traced the money trail.
He claimed that the smooth flow of cash indicated a coordinated effort involving multiple officials, some of whom have since been suspended.
The private property where Bobrisky allegedly stayed has also been demolished.
Shabi confirmed that both the Department of State Services (DSS) and EFCC questioned him over the incident. “I fully cooperated with both agencies.
As a community leader, I won’t condone such abuse of power,” he said.
His statement contradicts an earlier report by a National Assembly panel, which acknowledged Bobrisky received special treatment but claimed he remained within the prison grounds.
Bobrisky was sentenced in 2024 to six months in prison for defacing the naira and was released in August that year.
Meanwhile, controversial commentator Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, released a voice recording allegedly featuring Bobrisky admitting to paying N15 million to EFCC officials to drop a money laundering charge.
In the same recording, Bobrisky reportedly claimed a “godfather” and some correctional officers arranged for him to serve his sentence in a private apartment rather than prison.