Deputy Comptroller Emby Anukwara of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) disclosed that the well-known crossdresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, was placed in a ‘privilege cell’ during his incarceration at Kirikiri Prison.
This important statement was made during a session with the House of Representatives investigative committee, which visited the prison to examine the conditions of Bobrisky’s detention. The committee aimed to assess the treatment and living conditions of individuals held in the facility, particularly in light of the high-profile nature of Bobrisky’s case.
The Deputy Comptroller elaborated that the decision to assign Bobrisky to a special cell was based on medical evaluations that confirmed he possesses both male and female sex organs, necessitating special accommodation for his safety and well-being in the prison environment.
This revelation came in the wake of Bobrisky’s sentencing to six months in prison by a Lagos court for naira mutilation, a charge that has drawn significant public attention. The legitimacy of his imprisonment was further scrutinized after social media influencer Martins Ortse, also known as VeryDarkMan, leaked an audio clip that raised concerns about the conditions of Bobrisky’s detention and the circumstances surrounding it.
In the leaked recordings, Bobrisky made claims that he had served his term in a lodge rather than in the prison itself, attributing this unusual arrangement to the influence of a ‘godfather.’ Despite these assertions, an investigative panel concluded that there was no substantial evidence to support the idea that Bobrisky spent any part of his sentence outside the designated prison facilities.
However, during his address to the House of Representatives committee, Deputy Comptroller Anukwara stated, “I am Emby Anukwara, Deputy Comptroller of Corrections and officer in charge of Medium when Bobrisky was brought in here. On the April 12, 2024, Bobrisky was brought here at about 10:30 pm, and at that time, we could not conduct the necessary documentation.”
He further explained, “Given his history regarding whether he’s a male or female, we decided to take a proactive action; so I directed that he should be given a single cell in the privilege ward – a privilege cell. He was taken to P-ward room 2, where we are. The next day, when we conducted the admission process, he was taken to medicals where the doctor and matron examined him and confirmed that he had both male and female organs.”