The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has denied reports that crossdresser Bobrisky, real name Idris Okuneye, was transferred from Ikoyi Correctional Centre to Kirikiri Prison.

Earlier, Vistanaij Media  had circulated a report claiming Bobrisky had been moved to Kirikiri prison following his recent sentencing. The source suggested the move was due to Kirikiri’s larger capacity and for security reasons.

Contrary to these reports, an NCoS official informed PUNCH Metro that Bobrisky remains at Ikoyi prison. The official, speaking anonymously due to restrictions on discussing the matter, clarified that Bobrisky’s offence wasn’t severe enough to warrant a transfer to a maximum-security prison, where most inmates are serving life or death sentences.

“Bobrisky has not been moved, he is still here in Ikoyi. He was not sentenced to death and didn’t get a life sentence either. Those people sentenced to death and given life sentences are mostly kept in the maximum prison. That is mostly based on capital punishment. As for Bobrisky, he didn’t commit a capital offense, so why would they take him to Kirikiri,” the source said.

Another unnamed official added that while there are discussions about transferring some inmates to ease overcrowding across correctional centres in the state, no such move involving Bobrisky has been finalised.

“Sometimes, when we discover that the population of inmates is much in a facility, we decide to move them just to decongest. We are only considering that at the moment and not that anyone has been moved. If the prison authorities want to move, they have the right. We also do so if the person has a communicable disease or because the inmate requested it for proximity to the family or an appeal on humanitarian grounds.

The leadership might also say, ‘Let’s spread those who have less than one year sentence’, which may apply to Bobrisky, just to create space for those awaiting trial. But such people rarely go to the maximum prison,” the source disclosed.