Following the House of Representatives resolution to investigate allegations of bribery against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Joint Committees of the House has extended an invitation to the chairman of the commission, Ola Olukoyode.
In a letter dated September 27, 2024, the committee asked the EFCC Chairman and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service to appear on Monday, the 30th, with all officers involved in the allegation.
The allegation of bribery against the anti-graft agency and the Nigeria Correctional Service followed a trending social media voice conversation involving one Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, a crossdresser sentenced earlier this year to six months in prison for abuse of the naira.
The trending voice conversation suggested that Idris paid N15 million to EFCC to drop charges of money laundering initially made against him and that he spent time in a VIP facility instead of prison.
The House Committee is also inviting Bobrisky and a social media influencer, Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, on social media influencer who released the voice recording.
Meanwhile, Folakemi Falana, daughter of renowned human rights lawyer Chief Femi Falana (SAN), has vehemently denied bribery and corruption allegations involving her father and her brother, Falz, who were linked to Bobrisky’s reported prison sentence.
Folakemi, in a post on her Instagram handle, addressed the claims, labeling them baseless and defamatory, saying, “Two different letters from Falana & Falana on behalf of our clients, Femi Falana SAN and Folarin Falz Falana, giving VDM 24 hours to retract his extremely defamatory statements or risk legal action,” she captioned.
“It’s even crazier that all it takes is for a ridiculous character like VDM to accuse my dad and Falz of bribery, corruption, and perversion of the course of justice, and you suddenly forget who they are and what they stand for.”
According to Folakemi, rumours circulating online, which social media activist VDM amplified, falsely suggest that her father and brother were complicit in helping Bobrisky secure favorable treatment while in prison.
She also claimed they were linked to an alleged attempt to bribe officers for a presidential pardon, rumors she has now categorically debunked.
She also clarified that Femi Falana has never had any communication with Bobrisky, either directly or through an intermediary, and that her brother Falz was only approached by Bobrisky for financial assistance to secure a VIP spot while in prison.
The chairman of the EFCC had on Tuesday ordered an immediate investigation of bribery allegations levelled against some officers of the commission by controversial Okuneye.
In a statement on Tuesday, EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale said the EFCC boss has constituted a team of investigators to look into the allegations.
“To this end, the Commission hereby invites both Okuneye and Otse (VeryDarkMan) to make themselves available at its Lagos Directorate to assist investigators in unearthing the alleged bribery,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Wednesday urged the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to conduct an independent investigation into the trending allegations by the blogger.
A statement by the NBA President, Afam Osigwe, said, “The allegation of bribery to reduce or drop charges is very disturbing. An urgent and thorough investigation is needed to determine whether bribes were paid or are sometimes paid to influence the nature of charges brought against defendants in criminal cases.”
“The NBA therefore demands that the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) not only respond to the allegation that Bobrisky did not serve his time in a correctional facility but also provide transparent details on the conditions under which Bobrisky served his sentence.
“If it is proven that he was allowed to serve his sentence outside a correctional facility in breach of the law and a court order, the officers and officials responsible must be prosecuted and dismissed from service.”
The NBA also asked the AGF and the NSA to conduct independent investigations into the allegations, adding, “We also call upon the Attorney General of the Federation, the EFCC, and the Office of the National Security Adviser to independently investigate allegations that a convict paid a bribe to be allowed to serve prison time in a private residence instead of in a correctional facility, as well as the allegation that a bribe was demanded in exchange for a government pardon.
“The suggestion that convicts can freely serve their time in private residences and potentially procure a pardon by paying a bribe undermines the very foundation of our criminal justice system and erodes public confidence in the system.
“We believe that this investigation will provide the individuals named in these allegations the opportunity to clarify their roles (if any) in this matter. If these allegations are found to be true, it would not only mock our correctional system but also serve as a wake-up call for necessary reforms in our prosecutorial and correctional processes.
“The NBA shall appoint eminent members of the legal profession to monitor this situation and ensure that due process is followed,” the statement read.
