Social media influencer Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, and his legal representative, Deji Adeyanju, appeared before a joint committee of the National Assembly today as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of corruption involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS).
This follows the shocking revelations made by cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, who was convicted in April for naira abuse. Bobrisky accused both the EFCC and NCS of demanding bribes to allow him to serve his sentence in a VIP section of the Kirikiri Medium Custodial Centre in Lagos.
The controversy erupted when a voice note shared by VeryDarkMan featured Bobrisky claiming that his godfather, in collaboration with the Controller General of the NCS, arranged for him to serve his six-month sentence in a private apartment rather than the designated correctional facility. These claims have raised serious concerns about corruption within the justice system, prompting the National Assembly's intervention.
In a related development, Deputy Controller of Corrections Kevin Ikechukwu was suspended for allegedly receiving bribes on behalf of an inmate at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abuja, further intensifying scrutiny on the NCS.
The House of Representatives, on September 26, resolved to launch a full-scale investigation into these allegations. The motion was brought forth by Hon. Patrick Umoh of Akwa Ibom State, who expressed concern about the damage such claims could have on Nigeria’s global reputation and the integrity of its law enforcement institutions.
Umoh highlighted the seriousness of the allegations, which not only implicated senior officials of the NCS but also suggested that the EFCC dropped money laundering charges against Bobrisky after receiving a bribe of ₦15,000,000.
The Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, referred the case to the Committees on Financial Crimes and Reformatory Institutions for further investigation, promising that the outcome would be made public once concluded.
This investigation marks a significant step towards addressing the growing concerns about corruption within key national institutions and restoring public confidence in the Nigerian justice system.
