Director General of the Prison Rehabilitation Mission, Bishop Kayode Williams, has shed light on the complexities of Nigeria’s correctional facilities, against the backdrop of recent revelations regarding crossdresser Idris Okuneye, popularly know as Bobrisky.
He stated, “The prison now called the correctional service has buildings that accommodate convicted criminals, awaiting trials, including condemned criminals.”
Bishop Williams in a recent interview with ARISE News on Friday, emphasised the importance of proper documentation upon an inmate’s arrival, he said, “When they enter the prison for the first time, they have to put them on proper recording, who is the inmate, where to be kept…
“The first thing the record will do, is to say how do we treat this type of human that is neither woman nor a man.
“He is transgender (sic), so they looked for a way not to disturb…she can cause heavy riot.”
He raised a critical issue regarding the classification of individuals, stating, “This man we are discussing today, he is neither here nor there, as a man or a woman, to be recognised.”
He pointed out the confusion surrounding gender identity within the system, noting, “Are we going to say he is a man or he is a woman? Thank God! He openly confessed to the judge that tried her or him at the magistrate court; the confusion is there.”
He cautioned against overcelebrating the situation, explaining the need for proper accommodations in prisons.
“Those who have been sentenced to death; they are apart, they should not mingle with other inmates.”
He further clarified, “The second accommodation is for convicted individuals who are the owners of the prison, awaiting trial that have not been tried.”
Addressing the challenges of housing Okuneye, he remarked, “The accommodation that is provided for all males—are you going to bring Idris with her transgender body look to sleep in the general cell with general prisoners?”
He highlighted the need for special housing, stating, “They now said the way to go is to give him a special place; it’s called protective custody because they will tear him to pieces.His/her body looks, he looks like a woman, he moves like a woman.”
Bishop Williams pointed out that the environment can be dangerous, noting, “There are chronic homosexual inmates that are very hungry to go to any length to tear anybody, even those that are not transgender, they try to rape.”
Discussing the existing facilities, he remarked, “The ‘he’ you are talking about in the prison, there is a single cell within the prison, where an offender that commits another offence in the prison is kept.”
He compared the current state of prisons to a kingdom of its own, citing historical instances: “Afro from Benin was a homosexual in those days and was kept in a single cell.
“Obasanjo was not kept with general prisoners, and most of the governors…”
He however expressed belief that Nigeria’s correctional centres can reform inmates, adding, “The current prison can be correctional, though there are a lot of problems which we should not shy away from; we are not there yet.”
Boluwatife Enome
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