On Monday, September 30, Michael Anugwa, Deputy Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), denied rumors that he was suspended from his position.
This comes in response to reports that the Federal Government had suspended several officers in charge of the Maximum and Minimum Custodial Centres in Kirikiri, Lagos, after an audio leak suggested that Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, who was convicted and sentenced to six months in jail, was given an apartment outside the facility.
A statement from Ja’afaru Ahmed, Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), confirmed that suspensions had been enacted for several senior officers, including Anugwa and Sikiru Adekunle, who oversees the Maximum-Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri.
Anugwa addressed members of the House of Representatives’ joint committee on financial crimes and reformatory institutions, stating, “It was a social media report. I wasn’t served a letter,” emphasizing that he had not received any official notification regarding a suspension.
In addition to Anugwa, other officers were suspended for various alleged infractions related to the handling of inmates, indicating a broader investigation into practices within the correctional system.
