The Nigeria Correctional Service, NCoS, has refuted claims of Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, being moved from Ikoyi custodial center to Kirikiri maximum prison in Lagos State.
Bobrisky, who was sentenced to six months for mishandling naira notes, was rumored for a transfer to Kirikiri Prison last weekend to serve the rest of his term.
However, an NCoS official revealed to PUNCH Metro that Bobrisky was still being held at Ikoyi prison and his offense did not meet the criteria for a transfer to a maximum-security facility like Kirikiri.
“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.
Although discussions about congestion-related inmate transfers were ongoing, no such move had taken place yet according to another anonymous official.
“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.
