Human rights lawyer Femi Falana and his son, musician and activist Folarin Falana, known as Falz, have issued a stern demand for a public apology and retraction of defamatory statements made by popular crossdresser Idris Okuneye, commonly known as Bobrisky.
The allegations surfaced through audio recordings that have circulated online, prompting the legal action.
In one of the recordings, Bobrisky purportedly claimed that he had contacted Falz to request assistance in convincing his father, Falana, to secure a presidential pardon. He alleged that this involved a payment of N10 million. Additionally, he claimed to have asked Falz for N3 million to ensure preferential treatment at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
Another audio clip released by controversial media critic Martin Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, contained further allegations in which Bobrisky claimed to have paid N5 million upfront to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria to obtain a pardon for charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a letter dated October 14, 2024, from Falana’s legal representatives, Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo E. Olawanle, Bobrisky was accused of spreading false and defamatory statements regarding Falana and his son’s alleged involvement in a bribery scheme.
The legal team stated that the accusations were “baseless and damaging to Falana’s reputation” and demanded an immediate public apology and a full retraction to be disseminated across all platforms where the statements were shared.
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 taken place, asserting 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.
The legal team emphasized 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.