Social media influencer, Mr Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, and his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, have arrived at the National Assembly Complex for the joint committee investigating allegations of corruption against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Nigerian Correctional Services.
Recall that controversial cross dresser, Idris Okuneye, alias Bobrisky, who was convicted and sentenced to prison for naira abuse in April, accused the EFCC and NCS of demanding bribes from him to enable him serve his term in the VIP section of the Kirikiri Medium Custodial Centre in Lagos.
Trouble started following a voice note shared by the VeryDarkMan, in which Bobrisky was heard claiming that after his conviction and sentencing for abuse of the naira notes in April, his godfather, in collaboration with the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, arranged for him to serve his six-month sentence in a private apartment.
“In another related development, the board 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 money on behalf of an inmate,” the memo added.
Ahmed, however, said their suspension was to allow proper investigation into the allegations against them “while assuring that the outcome would be made public when concluded.”
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, on Thursday, September 26, resolved to investigate the bribery allegations levelled against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Nigerian Correctional Service by the VeryDarkMan.
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on Thursday, sponsored by the member representing Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State, Patrick Umoh.
Addressing his colleagues, Umoh expressed concern over the widely circulated publication by VeryDarkMan against the EFCC and the NCS.
He said, “The publication alleges that the EFCC dropped money laundry charges against Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, upon collection of the sum of N15,000,000.
“The publication alleges that Idris Okuneye, upon conviction for abuse and defacing of the naira, by the court, did not serve his time at the Nigeria Correctional Service, but was lodged outside the confines of the service.
“We are disturbed about the damning allegations against Nigerian critical law enforcement agencies, the EFCC and the NCS, established by this hallowed chambers to fight corruption and incarcerate persons convicted of crimes for correctional purposes respectively.”
He added that the negative image and portrayal of Nigeria as a corrupt nation in the publication should not be swept under the carpet.
Following the adoption of the motion, the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the plenary session, referred the motion to the Committees on Financial Crimes and Reformatory Institutions.
Details later…
(Punch)
