Human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana, and his son, Folarin, popularly known as Falz, have threatened to take legal action against popular crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, for alleged defamatory statements made in audio recordings circulating online.
The Falanas issued a 12-hour ultimatum to Bobrisky demanding a public apology for statements injurious to their reputation.
In an audio shared by social media critic, Martin Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky claimed that Falz contacted and asked him to persuade his father (Falana) to help secure a presidential pardon at the cost of N10m.
Similarly, in another audio shared by VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky claimed to have paid N5m upfront to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria to secure a Federal Government pardon over charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
The revelations led to an uproar as questions were being raised on the integrity of the senior lawyer and his son, who are both seen as human rights activists.
In a letter dated 14 October 2024, issued by Falana’s legal representatives, Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo E. Olawanle, and sighted by our correspondent on Wednesday, Bobrisky was said to have made unfounded claims that have damaged Falana’s reputation.
The letter subsequently demanded a full retraction of the statements and an apology, to be published on all platforms where the statements were initially shared.
The letter reads in parts, “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.”
“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 vehemently denied the claims by Bobrisky, insisting that Falz never had a conversation with him about pardon.
The letter continued, “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.
“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.
THE WHISTLER reported that Justice M. O. Dawodu of the Lagos State High Court on October 15, ordered VeryDarkMan to retract defamatory comments and videos about Falana and his son, Folarin, from his social media platforms.
Defamation: Falana, Falz Give Bobrisky 12-Hours To Apologise Or Face Legal Action is first published on The Whistler Newspaper