NCoS debunks moving Bobrisky to Kirikiri, says offense not capital

The Nigeria Correctional Service, NCoS denies reports suggesting that Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, was transferred from the Ikoyi custodial center to the Kirikiri maximum prison in Lagos State.

Bobrisky, who received a six-month prison sentence for abusing naira notes, was rumoured to have been moved quietly to Kirikiri Prison last weekend to serve the remainder of his term.

However, an official from the NCoS informed PUNCH Metro on Thursday that Bobrisky was still being held at the Ikoyi prison.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on discussing the matter, clarified that Bobrisky’s offence did not fall under capital crimes, which would necessitate his transfer to a maximum-security prison where inmates serving life or death sentences are usually held.

“Bobrisky has not been moved, he is still here in Ikoyi. He was not sentenced to death and didn’t get a life sentence either. Those people sentenced to death and given life sentences are mostly kept in the maximum prison.

“That is mostly based on capital punishment. As for Bobrisky, he didn’t commit a capital offence, so why would they take him to Kirikiri,” the source stated.

Another anonymous official mentioned that while there were discussions about transferring some inmates between custodial centres in the state due to congestion, these plans were still under consideration.

“Sometimes, when we discover that the population of inmates is much in a facility, we decide to move them just to decongest. We are only considering that at the moment and not that anyone has been moved.

“If the prison authorities want to move, they have the right. We also do so if the person has a communicable disease or because the inmate requested it for proximity to the family or an appeal on humanitarian grounds.

“The leadership might also say, ‘Let’s spread those who have less than one year sentence’, which may apply to Bobrisky, just to create space for those awaiting trial. But such people rarely go to the maximum prison,” the source disclosed.