Nigeria prison officials suspended over celebrity row

Two senior Nigerian prison officials have been suspended over bribery allegations regarding controversial transgender celebrity Bobrisky.

It follows claims by social media influencer Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, that some anti-corruption officials were bribed to drop money laundering charges against Bobrisky. She has dismissed the bribery claim.

Bobrisky, whose real name is Idris Okuneye, was released from prison last month after serving a six-month sentence for abusing naira, the local currency. But a court dismissed money laundering charges.

Nigeria was last year ranked 145 out of 180 countries in the Transparency International’s perceptions of corruption index, with bribery named more prevalent in government offices.

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have ordered investigations into a viral video, which Bobrisky has called “false”, allegedly linking her to the bribery allegation.

In the leaked video, someone who is purported to be Bobrisky is heard alleging that she paid $9,000 (£7,000) to EFCC officials to have the money laundering charges dropped.

It was also alleged that she paid some millions of naira to secure a private apartment near the prison where she allegedly served her jail term.

Bobrisky, who has nearly five million followers on Instagram, denied the allegations in an Instagram post.

“I didn’t pay any EFCC money, which is a very big lie. I served my term in full, and I came out. Discard any false information.”

In a statement on Thursday, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board, said it suspended two prison officers linked to the bribery allegations, which have sparked widespread condemnation in the country.

Two other senior prison officials were also suspended over separate accusations.

“The suspension of these officers is to allow for further investigation on the various allegations while assuring that the outcome would be made public when concluded,” the statement added.

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