NIGERIAN crossdresser and social media figure, Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, has threatened a ₦1 billion lawsuit against Martins Otse, popularly called VeryDarkMan, over an alleged defamatory audio clip.
This was made known through Bobrisky’s Instagram on Sunday September 29, where he alleged that VeryDarkMan circulated an AI-generated audio recording falsely accusing Bobrisky of being involved in illicit relationships with prominent individuals, including politicians and law enforcement officers.
Bobrisky’s lawyers in a statement accused VeryDarkMan of exploiting their client’s name and influence for personal benefit by making baseless allegations about his relationships with politicians and law enforcement officers.
Part of the statement reads, “Our client has informed us that in your quest for social media stardom, you have continued to exploit his name, personality, and social media influence to create media buzz for your personal gains.
“Recently, you alleged in one of your trending videos on various social media platforms that various deputy inspectors general of the Nigeria Police force, lawmakers, senators, and politicians generally were in the habit of having sexual intercourse with our client, yet you have not provided any proof of these claims to date.”
The statement further indicated that VeryDarkMan had consistently made reckless and unsubstantiated claims, including hearsay, against their client without any evidence.
It also noted that this behaviour showed a disregard for the client’s mental health, general wellbeing, privacy, freedom of thought, right to life, and other fundamental constitutional rights.
“One would expect that after such attempts against our client, you would exercise some level of caution or restraint, considering the safety and wellbeing of our client. However, your goals are personal and self-serving, and thus you have made it a lifelong task to fulfil them by any means, regardless of the negative effects on our client and others caught in your unfounded attacks.
“Our client has become aware that you recently published an AI-generated audio call, claiming it was between an unnamed individual and our client. For the record, our client has never had any audio conversation with this individual, and your act of defamation and blackmail should be retracted within 24 hours of the service of this letter of demand via social media platforms,” the statement further read.
Bobrisky’s legal team has demanded that VeryDarkMan immediately delete the audio clip, issue a public apology in two national newspapers, and record a video apology to be shared on all social media platforms. They also insisted that VeryDarkMan stops publishing defamatory content about Bobrisky and pay ₦1 billion in damages within 24 hours.
In a viral audio released by VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky allegedly claimed that certain unnamed operatives from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accepted ₦15 million from him to dismiss money laundering charges which prompted the minister of interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to order an investigation into bribery allegations and other corrupt practices within the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected]