A Lagos traditional ruler has made startling claims about the alleged VIP treatment received by popular crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky, during his time at the Kirikiri custodial facility.
Chief Babalola Shabi, also known as “Baale No-Nonsense,” made these claims during a town hall meeting organized by the Lagos State Police Command on Saturday, April 5.
The traditional ruler said that Bobrisky was never fully confined within the prison walls as widely believed.
Instead, he was allegedly living in a private apartment outside the correctional facility, made possible by prison officials.
“Before the truth came out, everyone believed he was in Kirikiri serving his time. But the reality is that Bobrisky was living comfortably outside the prison walls, thanks to a criminal collaboration involving some officials,” Baale Shabi revealed.
According to Shabi, Bobrisky smuggled eight ATM cards into the facility, which were allegedly used to move over N35 million through POS agents.
The money, he claimed, was used to secure luxury and preferential treatment with the help of correctional officers.
He added that the correctional officers reportedly worked with POS vendors to withdraw large amounts of money from the cards.
The ease and speed at which the funds were accessed indicated that the operation was well-planned.
“It was shocking how N35 million could be sourced from around here so quickly. Clearly, this was not a one-man job. The officials who aided him have been suspended,” he stated.
Moreover, the Baale disclosed that the alleged luxury apartment where Bobrisky was housed during the sentence had already been located and demolished.
According to him, he invited all POS operators around the Kirikiri area to his palace for questioning after he became suspicious of unusual financial activities.
Following the gathering, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was alerted and reportedly traced the transactions using the information gathered.
“I personally called in the EFCC after I summoned the POS operators to my palace. From there, they were able to trace the transactions and decode the money trail,” he said.
Furthermore, Baale Shabi revealed that both the Department of State Services (DSS) and EFCC had invited him for questioning in connection to the alleged Bobrisky prison scandal.
He said he cooperated fully with their investigations and remained firm in his duty as a community leader.
“The DSS first invited me for questioning, and I told them everything I knew. The EFCC also reached out, and I gave them my full cooperation. As a community leader, I cannot allow this type of impunity to go unchecked,” he explained.
However, his claims have contradicted an earlier report submitted by a National Assembly panel.
The panel confirmed that while Bobrisky may have received special privileges, he remained within the Kirikiri facility throughout the duration of his sentence.
This new development has sparked public concern about corruption within the Nigerian Correctional Service.
It has also raised questions about whether equal justice is truly being served to all inmates, regardless of their fame or wealth.
The revelation has therefore led many to demand accountability, transparency, and urgent reform in the correctional system to prevent such incidents from happening again.
By shedding light on this issue, Baale Shabi believes the truth is being told not just to expose wrongdoers, but to protect justice and ensure that future occurrences are avoided.
“We must not allow this kind of behavior to continue. Everyone deserves equal treatment under the law,” he concluded.
