Human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana, along with his son Folarin, known as Falz, has demanded a public apology and retraction from the well-known crossdresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, regarding alleged defamatory statements made in online audio recordings.
In one recording shared by controversial media critic Martin Otse, also called VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky claimed that he had spoken with Falz to ask for assistance in convincing his father, Falana, to secure a presidential pardon, which he alleged cost “N10 million.” Additionally, Bobrisky asserted that he requested “N3 million” from Falz to receive special treatment at Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
In a second audio shared by VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky further alleged that he paid “N5 million upfront to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria” to obtain a Federal Government pardon for charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
In response, Falana’s legal representatives, Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo E. Olawanle, issued a letter on October 14, 2024, seen by PUNCH on Wednesday, accusing Bobrisky of spreading false and damaging statements about Falana and his son’s involvement in the alleged bribery and pardon.
The legal team described Bobrisky’s allegations as “entirely unfounded” and demanded a full retraction and apology on all platforms where these statements were shared.
The letter stated, “We are Counsel to Mr. Femi Falana SAN and Mr. Folarin Falana aka Falz (hereinafter referred to as ‘our clients’), on whose behalf we write this letter regarding your slanderous statements against them.
“We have confirmed that you took advantage of your recent imprisonment to extort money from a group of artists and other members of the public.
You will recall that on 4 May 2024, you called Mr. Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, and requested ‘N3,000,000 (Three Million Naira)’ to secure special treatment at Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
“Although Falz refused your request, you falsely claimed in a video that he told you his father, our client, had agreed to write a letter of pardon for you. You also stated that our client had spoken with you and that ‘N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira)’ was required to bribe officials to process your pardon.”
The letter continued, “In another video, you claimed to have paid ‘N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) upfront to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria’ to secure a Federal Government pardon over charges filed against you by the EFCC. You further alleged that the Senior Advocate initially requested ‘N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira)’ for his legal services but, due to your frozen account, you could not raise the full amount.”
Falana’s legal team clarified that no such conversation ever took place and accused Bobrisky of making the allegations to extort money from the public while damaging Falana’s professional reputation.
The team further asserted, “In fact, you have published a list of individuals who believed your fabricated story and contributed millions of naira, supposedly to pay our client to write a letter of pardon and bribe public officers on your behalf. Your decision to involve our client in your criminal activities was purely a figment of your imagination.
“Contrary to your baseless claims, you never instructed our client to write a letter of pardon for you,” the letter continued.
Additionally, the legal team emphasized that Bobrisky had neither spoken with Falana nor instructed him to write a letter of pardon, and they dismissed the claim of a “N5 million” payment as groundless.
“It is clear that you made these defamatory statements recklessly, knowing full well that you did not call our client to request a letter of pardon. Our client has NEVER spoken to you regarding your pardon or any other matter,” the letter stated.
“Given that our client has secured pardons for over 300 Nigerians convicted by military and civilian courts in Nigeria, Libya, Thailand, and The Gambia on a pro bono basis, your defamatory statements have severely damaged his reputation, both locally and internationally.
“We, therefore, demand an immediate retraction of your defamatory and derogatory statements, along with a prominently aired or published apology on all platforms where your false statements have been shared.
“If we do not receive your formal retraction and apology within ‘12 (twelve) hours’ of your receipt of this letter, we will proceed with our client’s instructions to pursue legal remedies, including seeking monetary damages, for your malicious defamatory statements.
“We hope you will urgently address the issues raised herein in your own best interest,” the letter concluded.
It was earlier reported that the Lagos State High Court has ordered VeryDarkMan to remove defamatory comments and videos concerning Falana and his son, Folarin, from his social media platforms.
Justice M.O. Dawodu issued the ruling in suit no: ID/8584/GCM/2024 on Monday, determining that the posts made by VeryDarkMan on September 24, 2024, linking Bobrisky to Falz and his father, were defamatory and damaging to their public image.
