The House of Representatives has initiated a formal investigation into bribery allegations levelled against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) by crossdresser, Idris Okuneye (Bobrisky).
The decision was made during a plenary session at the Lower Chamber on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
An All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker from Akwa Ibom, Patrick Umoh in a motion of urgent public importance which he sponsored described the allegations as damning.
The probe by the lawmakers follows claims made by social media personality Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, who shared an audio recording in which Mr Okuneye allegedly admitted to bribing EFCC officials with N15 million to have money laundering charges against him dropped.
Mr Okuneye, who was sentenced to six months in prison in April 2024 for abusing the naira, was reportedly released on August 5, 2024.
In the viral recording, Mr Okuneye also claimed that his “godfather,” along with Haliru Nababa, the Controller General of the NCoS, ensured that he served his sentence in a private apartment rather than in the correctional facility as ordered by the court.
However, Mr Okuneye has since denied the bribery accusations, dismissing the recording as fake.
The EFCC has also reacted by inviting both Messrs Okuneye and Otse for questioning.
In addition, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the bribery claims against the NCoS by the crossdresser.
Presenting the motion, Mr Umoh described the allegations as “damning” and harmful to Nigeria’s international image.
He also said that the allegations portray the country as deeply corrupt.
The lawmaker called for immediate action to address the claims and restore confidence in the nation’s anti-corruption institutions.
After the motion was put to a vote by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, it was unanimously adopted by the House.
As a result, the House of Representatives has mandated its committees on financial crimes and reformatory institutions to conduct a thorough investigation into the bribery allegations and report back within three weeks.
