Respected Human Rights Advocate and attorney – Femi Falana, SAN, along with his son Folarin, widely recognized as Falz, have called for a public apology and the retraction of slanderous remarks made by the well-known crossdresser Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky, in audio recordings that have been disseminated online.
In one of the recordings shared by the controversial media commentator Martin Otse, also referred to as VeryDarkMan (VDM), Bobrisky alleged that he had contacted Falz to solicit his help in persuading his father, Falana, to facilitate a presidential pardon, which he claimed required payment of N10 million.
Furthermore, Bobrisky purportedly requested N3 million from Falz to obtain preferential treatment at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
In another audio clip released by VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky asserted that he had paid N5 million in advance to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in an effort to secure a pardon from the Federal Government concerning charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
However, in a letter dated 14 October 2024, from Falana’s legal representatives, Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo E. Olawanle, which newsmen obtained on Wednesday, Bobrisky was accused of making false and defamatory allegations regarding the involvement of Falana and his son in purported bribery and pardon negotiations.
The legal representatives characterized Bobrisky’s assertions as completely baseless and harmful to Falana’s reputation, demanding a comprehensive retraction and apology to be published across all platforms where the statements were initially made.
The letter read, “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 had ever occurred and that Bobrisky’s allegations were aimed at extorting money from the public while tarnishing Falana’s professional reputation.
“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 further stated.
Additionally, the legal team stressed that Bobrisky had never spoken with Falana nor instructed him to write a letter of pardon. The claim of a N5 million payment was also dismissed 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 lawyers asserted.
“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 legal team concluded.
Court Ordered VDM To Remove Defamatory Comments
Meanwhile, the Lagos State High Court has also 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.
He ruled that the publications made by VeryDarkMan on his social media platforms on 24 September 2024, linking Bobrisky to Falz and his father, were defamatory and harmful to their public image.
