The suspension of some senior officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) over bribery allegations linked to the controversial crossdresser Idris Okuneye, better known as Bobrisky, is already proving to be a circus.
Why It Matters
Despite the public announcement of his suspension, Michael Anugwa, a Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC) at the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) in Kirikiri, Lagos State, claims he hasn’t received any official communication about his suspension.
Now, isn’t that just typical? A senior official of the Nigerian Correctional Service is being suspended for allegedly receiving bribes, and the man’s defense is essentially: “Nobody told me.”
What They Are saying
In a statement signed by Ja’afaru Ahmed, the Board responsible for the suspension said it was necessary to allow further investigation into the bribery allegations swirling around these officers. But here’s where it gets interesting, while the world is being told these officers are suspended, Anugwa confidently appeared before a House of Representatives panel in his official regalia, stating that he has yet to receive any formal suspension letter. He says he only learned of his suspension through, social media.
The same statement that supposedly suspended Anugwa also targeted other top officers, including Sikiru Adekunle, Deputy Controller of Corrections at the Maximum-Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri, and ASC II Ogbule Samuel Obinna, stationed at the MSCC in Afikpo, Ebonyi State. They were accused of everything from escorting convicted inmates outside custodial facilities to receiving money on behalf of inmates. But apparently, no one thought it was necessary to officially inform the key players involved in this bribery mess about their suspension. Classic.
Iloafonsi Kevin Ikechukwu, a Deputy Controller of Corrections in Kuje, Abuja, has also been suspended over similar bribery allegations, particularly for pocketing money on behalf of an inmate. Yet, like his colleague Anugwa, there seems to be a disconnect between the public announcements and the actual enforcement of these suspensions.
To put it simply, the Nigerian Correctional Service seems to be running a scandal-ridden show where even the accused officials are kept in the dark about their fates. If this isn’t a reflection of how loosely things are managed within our institutions, then what is?
Bottom Line
Anugwa, while addressing the House of Representatives panel investigating bribery allegations against the NCoS and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), appeared nonchalant about his suspension. “I heard it on social media,” he said with a straight face. The rot within the Nigerian Correctional Service goes deeper than anyone wants to admit. And until we see real accountability and transparent actions, suspensions announced through the media will remain nothing more than a performance for the cameras.
