Entertainment
Kirikiri Prison: How Bobrisky spent jail term in Special Cell
More details emerged on Friday on what transpired during the six-month jail term of popular cross dresser, Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky.
Investigations by Saturday PUNCH revealed that the controversial social media influencer after being sentenced for spraying the naira, was taken to the Ikoyi Custodial Centre on April 12, 2024.
Sources confided in our correspondents that the convict, who had prison number S682/2024, was taken to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, as his presence began to attract attention and generate publicity.
A highly credible source said, “He was first moved to the Ikoyi prison where he spent a few days before the controller, Ben-Rabbi Freedman, moved him to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri.”
Another top source confirmed Bobrisky’s movement from the Ikoyi facility to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, adding that he spent some days there before he was again moved to the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri.
The source explained that he was visited by some relatives in the prison, adding that there was a record of all his activities.
“Many people visited him in the place, including three family members. Those people followed due process and that was why they were able to see and visit him. I also saw him in the prison. He looked gentle and sober,” the source added.
The special ‘cell’
Saturday PUNCH gathered that there was usually provision for some inmates considered to be “Very Important Persons” who might be at risk if allowed to mingle with other inmates.
“The place is like a back cell or a single cell originally reserved for well-behaved inmates. This is in accordance with prison rules. They are put there to compensate for their good behaviour.
“However, when warders bring in certain people, they are taken there. They live whichever way they want. Some of the inmates furnish the place to their taste,” the source stated.
Asked the cost of using the room, the source noted that such was usually determined by the officer in charge of the centre.
“They collect huge sums of money from them, depending on the kind of inmates they have. When you saw the fight between operatives of the DSS and prison service for (Godwin) Emefiele on the court premises, what did you think was the reason? It’s because of the benefits that come with having such a person in custody,” the source added.
The source noted that Bobrisky might have been put in the “special cell” during his time in the Kirikiri prison.
Another source, who confirmed the existence of such an arrangement, said negotiations usually start from the court between inmates and prison officials.
The source said the correctional service knew what it wanted to do, hence Bobrisky was allegedly shielded from inmates when he was admitted.
He said, “Inmates who saw him at the medium prison before he was moved to maximum prison were not many. It was all planned.”
But the spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Abubakar Umar, denied the report that there was preferential treatment for VIP convicts.
“We are not aware of such. They are alien to us. However, that information will be investigated. All inmates are given the same treatment. We don’t have any preferential treatment for anybody,” he insisted.
Efforts to get Bobrisky’s reactions proved abortive, as he did not respond to calls to his telephone line and messages sent to his official Facebook handle and WhatsApp on Friday night.
Controversial cross-dresser
Bobrisky has been in the eye of the storm since Wednesday, April 3, 2024, when operatives of the Lagos command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested and detained him over allegations of mutilating naira notes worth N490,000 and money laundering.
The arrest followed a viral video that showed him spraying naira notes at the premiere of the movie Ajakaju at Film One Circle Mall, Lekki, Lagos, on March 24, 2024.
He was subsequently arraigned at the Federal High Court in Lagos on six counts. The first four counts involved the abuse of the Nigerian currency, while the last two were on money laundering.
However, before the charges were read, the EFCC prosecutor, Mr Sulaiman Sulaiman, requested the court to strike out counts five and six.
“We have an agreement with the defendant to withdraw counts five and six. Therefore, we humbly urge the court to strike them out, leaving counts one to four,” he said.
The court then dismissed the two counts, and scheduled April 9, 2024, for judgement.
Bobrisky pleaded guilty to the remaining charges, and on Friday, April 12, 2024, Justice Abimbola Awogboro sentenced him to six months in prison without the option of a fine for abusing the naira.
While many Nigerians expected Bobrisky’s appearance to change following his time in prison, the controversial social media personality hosted a celebratory party just hours after his release on Monday, August 5, 2024.
Appearing more radiant than before, Bobrisky, in a viral video, boasted, “I came back from jail with a nice body,” prompting doubts about whether he truly served his sentence at a custodial centre or not.
The cross-dresser landed in fresh trouble on Tuesday when a social media activist, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, called him out over an unpaid debt.
In a trending video, VDM said a creditor approached him, pleading for help in recovering N4m that Bobrisky borrowed.
The creditor reportedly sent Bobrisky the sum when the latter was desperate to raise money for a private apartment in prison. He, however, allegedly refused to repay the loan after his release.
VDM subsequently played an audio clip in which the ex-convict purportedly admitted to paying unnamed EFCC operatives N15m for dropping the money laundering charges against him.
Bobrisky also allegedly claimed in the audio that he served his six-month jail term in a private flat near the prison after a “mentor” spoke to the prison authorities in Abuja.
After the tape went viral, Bobrisky took to his Instagram page to deny making such claims, saying that the audio was fake.
He said, “I didn’t pay any EFCC official N15m, and I served my jail term in full. Disregard any false information being spread.”
Suspension without due process
As the scandal gained momentum, the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Wednesday, initiated a probe into the allegations.
The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board also suspended the officers in charge of the Maximum and Minimum Custodial Centres.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the Secretary of CDCFIB, Ja’afaru Ahmed, said the suspension of the officers was to allow for further investigation into the various allegations, assuring that the outcome would be made public when concluded.
He said, “Following the viral video trending on social media on alleged infractions by officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service relating to Mr Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has suspended forthwith the following Senior Officers of the Service.
“Michael Anugwa, Deputy Controller of Corrections In-Charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos State; and Sikiru Adekunle, Deputy Controller of Corrections, in-charge of Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos State.
“Also, the Board has suspended ASC II Ogbule Samuel Obinna, serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Afikpo, Ebonyi State, for allegedly accompanying a convicted inmate out of the Custodial Centre to a location outside the facility.
“In another related development, the Board has equally suspended another Senior Officer of the Service, Iloafonsi Kevin Ikechukwu, Deputy Controller of Corrections, In-Charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje- Abuja, for allegedly receiving monies on behalf of an inmate”.
However, sources in the correctional service criticised the decision of the board to suspend the officers without due process
Saturday PUNCH learnt that Adekunle, who resumed at the maximum prison a few months ago, was not served a query like the rest of his colleagues.
“The action was a flagrant disregard for the civil service rules, which lays down the process for such a decision. None of the officers were served queries or allowed to defend themselves.
“Also, the board does not suspend directly. The queries are supposed to come from the correctional service, who will then make recommendations to the board.
“In addition, if there should be a suspension, it should be announced by the controller general of the correctional service,” a source said.
The source also wondered why the officers were singled out for punishment if Bobrisky’s allegation was against the controller general.
He noted that the panel constituted against the officers did not include any official of the correctional service, saying nothing would come out of it.
“It appears a grand scheme to cover up things. There is more to it than meets the eye,” the source said.
A spokesperson for the minister refused to comment on the matter.
The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said the commission’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had ordered an investigation into the matter.
Oyewale said the commission had also invited VDM and Bobrisky to its Lagos office to assist investigators into the alleged bribery.
“We have said we are investigating. The chairman has ordered that the matter be investigated,” he stated.
When pressed further on how many people were being investigated, he said, “I may not be able to tell you that because I don’t know. I will find out from the chairman.”
The widow and children of late Nollywood comic legend, , popularly known as Mr Ibu, have appealed for help as they battle severe financial hardship barely a year after his death.
Speaking in an emotional interview with content creator King Mitchy, the actor’s widow, Stella Maris Okafor, revealed that the family is struggling to survive and is at risk of losing their home due to unpaid rent.
According to her, electricity to their residence has been disconnected for about two months because of unpaid bills, forcing the family to seek places outside their home to charge their phones. She also disclosed that they now fetch water from a community well because they cannot afford to maintain the plumbing facilities in the house.
“We fetch water from the well because I have not paid the house rent. They have even cut my lights for two months now. No lights since. Every night we go to look for a place to charge our phones. It is not easy,” she said.
The situation has also affected the education of the couple’s three children, aged 14, 12 and 10. Stella Maris said the children have been unable to continue their schooling due to outstanding tuition fees.
“Right now, they cannot go to school again. I can even show you the message the school sent me today,” she said while displaying a notice from the school.
One of the children, a 14-year-old daughter who hopes to follow in her father’s footsteps as an actress, appealed to members of the entertainment industry for support.
“I want to thank God for my mum. She tries everything she can to feed us and pay our school fees. If you are in the industry with my dad and you see us now, please come and help us,” she pleaded.
Mr Ibu died on March 2, 2024, at the age of 62 following a prolonged illness that included multiple surgeries and the amputation of one of his legs. His treatment reportedly consumed much of the family’s resources despite public fundraising efforts mounted during his hospitalization.
The family’s current predicament has sparked widespread concern on social media, with many Nigerians calling on colleagues, fans and well-wishers of the late actor to support his widow and children during the difficult period.
Veteran Nollywood actor, Abdulsalam Taofeeq, popularly known as Tioroju Mondusi, has opened up about what he described as the most painful experience of his life, revealing that two of the five children he raised were not biologically his.
The actor made the emotional revelation during a recent appearance on the African A-List podcast, where he spoke candidly about the collapse of his marriage and the events that followed.
According to Mondusi, the betrayal remains the deepest wound he has ever endured, despite having forgiven his late wife.
“The person who hurt me the most in life was my wife,” he said. “The experience brought tears to my eyes. She is late now, and I pray God forgives her.”
Recounting the ordeal, the actor said that about five years ago, he returned from a film location to discover that his wife, who was heavily pregnant with their fifth child, had disappeared. Efforts to contact her were unsuccessful for two days.
When he eventually reached her, she allegedly refused to reveal her whereabouts. Concerned, he visited her mother’s residence, where he was informed that she had reportedly undergone a traditional introduction ceremony with another man.
Mondusi said he later came across photographs from the ceremony and confronted her. According to him, the situation took a dramatic turn when she questioned whether he was truly the father of the child she was carrying.
“She came back home and asked me who told me I owned the pregnancy,” he recalled.
The actor further alleged that after giving birth, his wife insisted that the child’s naming ceremony be held at his residence despite publicly claiming that the baby was not his.
Angered by the development, he said he involved the police and prevented the ceremony from taking place at his compound.
The dispute eventually ended up in court after his wife filed for the dissolution of their marriage. Mondusi claimed it was during the court proceedings that she admitted the newborn child and their third child were fathered by another man.
“She confessed in court that the third and the last child were not mine,” he said, alleging that she had maintained a long-term relationship with the man involved.
The veteran actor also disclosed that his former wife died last year after battling depression. He claimed that the man she left him for later abandoned her and returned to his own family.
The revelation has since generated widespread reactions on social media, with many expressing sympathy for the actor and reflecting on the emotional impact of broken relationships, infidelity and paternity disputes.
Speaking on News Central Television in a video shared on X on Thursday, the Nigeria Democratic Congress, House of Representatives aspirant described the incident as an abuse of power, adding that it raised concerns about citizens’ safety and data protection in the country.
Ike confirmed that he has initiated legal proceedings against Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
“It was shocking. It was so disturbing that I felt unsafe. I felt insecure. For the first time, I’m feeling like, is anybody safe in this country anymore? That kind of feeling, that’s what it was like to me.
He alleged that the incident reflected what he described as political recklessness and abuse of authority.
“It’s an abuse of power. It’s the extreme to radicalism, political radicalism. It’s basically telling Nigerians that we’re in charge, we know you all, (0:52) we’ll do what we want and we can get away with it. That’s very, very irritating and I feel very disturbed by this,” he added.
The actor said his legal team had already written to the parties involved, including Olayinka, INEC, his political party, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police, to formally document the complaint.
His death was confirmed on Tuesday by his colleagues, Funke Akindele, Bolanle Ninalowo, and Godwin Nnadiekwe, who claimed to be his ally.
Sharing on her Instagram story, Akindele wrote, “Hmmmmmm. Rest in peace, Alex. I tried to reach out to see you one more time, but I guess you knew best. May your kind soul rest in peace, Alex. ‘Ore mi like you fondly called me, I will always remember and cherish the good times we shared together. Rest in Peace, Alex.”
Meanwhile, Ninalowo, who is now in the United States, also mourned on his page, writing, “Rest on, Alex. May God heal your family and us all.”
Nnadiekwe, on the other hand, shared, “I’m struggling to find the words. This news has truly broken me. Nollywood has lost a rare soul, and I’m lost for words because this wasn’t the plan, Alex Ekubo. To think you already prepared your Will — It’s heartbroken, I can’t quite describe. Rest well, my friend.”
As of the time of filing this report, his family has not issued a statement on his death.
Recall that fans across social media recently expressed concerns for Ekubo following his first public appearance after months of social media silence.
The light-skinned movie star had been absent from Instagram since December 30, 2024, sparking speculation about his well-being.
However, a recent video that surfaced online brought him back into the spotlight, though it also raised further questions.
In the viral clip, Ekubo was seen interacting with a group of children, appearing noticeably slimmer and subdued.
The footage triggered a wave of emotional reactions from fans, many of whom noted a significant change in his appearance and questioned his wellbeing.
Before his demise, the actor dismissed marriage in favour of his quest to earn more money in the film industry.
In January 2023, his then-lover, Fancy Acholonu, in an interview, revealed that she dated the late actor for five years without them having any intimacy.
The US-based model also called off her wedding to Ekubo in December 2021, after apologising to the film star a year later for calling it off.
Acholonu affirmed her love for the actor, saying that “like our shirt says, Nothing makes sense when we’re apart @alexxekubo you still have my heart.
“I miss you, I love you, and I’m truly sorry for all the hurt & pain you and your family went through with our breakup.”
She noted that her actions were out of character, and she has realised she could have controlled her emotions and not been so overreactive.
However, in a post on his Instagram page, Ekubo implied that he was aware that some people were curious about why he has not yet been married.
The film star said he was more interested in making money. He urged people not to bother about his marital status.
The news of his passing was announced on Tuesday by a fellow actor, Tony Akposheri, in an Instagram post.
Akposheri expressed shock and sadness over the death of the actor, recalling their recent interactions.
He revealed that they had recently spent time together during the New Year, sharing memories and discussing future plans.
“Today, my heart is heavy. Davis Ofor, fondly known as Clarus from New Masquerade, is gone.
“We crossed into the New Year together, laughing, talking, sharing memories, and speaking hopefully about the days ahead,” he wrote.
“We spoke about life, about plans, about how far we had come. None of us knew that time was already counting differently for you.”
Describing the late actor as more than just a screen personality, Akposheri paid tribute to his character and impact.
“It is hard to believe that the voice I heard not long ago is now a memory. Hard to accept that someone so full of life can suddenly become a story we tell.”
He added, “Rest well, my friend. You came, you gave joy, you made your mark, and you will never be forgotten.”
Clarus gained prominence for his role in New Masquerade, one of Nigeria’s most popular television comedy shows, where his character became a household name.
Details surrounding the cause of his death were not immediately available.
Ofor rose to prominence for his role as Clarus in New Masquerade, a widely acclaimed Nigerian television comedy that aired on the Nigerian Television Authority and became a household favourite in the 1980s.
His portrayal of the comic character earned him national recognition and endeared him to audiences across the country, making Clarus one of the most memorable figures in Nigerian television history.
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