Interior Minister Directs Probe Into Alleged Corruption Within Correctional Service

Interior Minister Directs Probe Into Alleged Corruption Within Correctional Service

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed an unconditional and comprehensive investigation into the allegations of bribery and corruption within the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

Disclosing this in a statement on Wednesday, the Minister’s media aide, Babatunde Alao, said he unequivocally condemned the alleged reprehensible behaviour.

The Minister also emphasized that any form of indiscipline, unprofessionalism, and corruption will be met with zero tolerance and severe consequences within the paramilitary services under the Ministry’s purview.

“The Ministry will not tolerate any compromise on its core values of integrity, transparency, and accountability. We will leave no stone unturned in rooting out corruption and ensuring that those found culpable face the full wrath of the law,” Tunji-Ojo said.

The Minister was said to have called for a special investigative team headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, to probe these allegations and submit a comprehensive report.

He reassured the public that the investigation will be rigorous, transparent, and impartial, and that appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken against any personnel found guilty.

The probe follows a bribery allegation by Idris Okuneye known as Bobrisky in a video released by a blogger, Martins Otse known as VeryDarkMan, against a top officer of the Nigeria Correctional Service.

In the viral audio, Bobrisky also claimed to have bribed officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with N15million to drop the money laundering charge against him.

Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said the Commission’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had constituted a team of investigators to critically investigate the matter.

After six months behind bars, Bobrisky was released from the Kirikiri Correctional Centre on August 5.

He was jailed by a Federal High Court in Lagos in April with no option of fine following his guilty plea to naira abuse charge preferred against him by the EFCC.