The Federal Government has established an independent investigative panel to examine allegations of corruption and significant violations of standard operating procedures within the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS).
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, inaugurated the committee on Monday in Abuja. He emphasized that the panel must also investigate claims that certain correctional service personnel provided alternative accommodation for the convicted cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo stated that the formation of the panel is essential for sanitizing the NCoS and promoting transparency and accountability within the organization. He previously suspended several officers overseeing the Maximum and Minimum Custodial Centres in Kirikiri, Lagos State, following misconduct allegations linked to Bobrisky.
The minister highlighted the importance of a comprehensive approach to uncovering the issues under investigation through empirical and fact-finding processes, aiming to provide lasting solutions to the challenges facing the correctional system. “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 completed within two weeks,” he stated.
The panel, led by Dr. Magdalene Ajani, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, has been tasked with upholding justice without bias toward any party. Dr. Tunji-Ojo remarked, “We will rely on your legal guidance to ensure that whatever we do is in line with the law of the land.”