Prison experts have clarified the reasons behind the separation of controversial crossdresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, from other inmates at the correctional facility, while denying the existence of a VIP section.
Speaking on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Friday, Bishop Kayode Williams, the Director General of the Prison Rehabilitation Mission, elaborated on how accommodations for inmates are organized based on different categories.
He said, “There are accommodations for condemned prisoners, those sentenced to death, who must not mingle with other inmates. The second accommodation is convicted inmates, who are the owners of the prison.”
Addressing Bobrisky’s situation, Williams added, “The accommodation that is provided for males, are they going to bring Idris with his transgender body /look to go and sleep in the general cell? The first thing they do is decide how to treat someone like that.
“They provided him a special place for protective custody because, with his appearance, he would be in danger. He looks like a woman, moves like a woman, and some homosexual inmates would be willing to take things to extreme lengths.”
Former National PRO of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Francis Enobore, corroborated Williams’ comments, explaining that the service profiles each inmate for both their safety and the general prison environment.
“Yes, he confessed in court that he is a man but he came in bodily showing that he is a woman. Some of the people behind bars are unrepentant homosexuals. There is no doubt that if care is not taken, we will have a very serious security situation on our hands,” he said.
However, Enobore refuted claims of Bobrisky being given a private section, stating, “There’s no such thing as a private apartment or anything special in the prison.”
The controversy surrounding Bobrisky’s incarceration escalated earlier this week after Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, shared a voice note in which Bobrisky allegedly claimed that following his conviction for abusing naira notes in April, his godfather, along with the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, arranged for him to serve his six-month sentence in a private apartment.
In response to the allegations, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board announced on Thursday the suspension of two deputy controllers responsible for the Kirikiri Medium Custodial Centre in Lagos, citing their connection to the alleged bribery claims involving Bobrisky.
