HUMAN rights lawyer, Femi Falana, and his son, Folarin, fondly known as Falz, have issued a 12-hour ultimatum to crossdresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, demanding a retraction of what they describe as defamatory statements made in viral audio recordings against them.
The legal notice, dated October 14, and reported by Punch, called on Bobrisky to retract the comments made about the duo and issue a formal apology to avoid further legal action.
In a viral audio released by Martins Otse, popularly called 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.
In another audio recording, Bobrisky alleged that he asked Falz, a popular musician, to persuade his father to help secure a presidential pardon, supposedly costing N10 million.
Bobrisky also claimed to have requested N3 million from Falz for special treatment at Kirikiri Correctional Centre, while also allegedly claiming that he had paid N5 million upfront to seek a Federal Government pardon over charges by the EFCC.
Bobrisky has denied the allegations, noting that the audio was AI-generated.
However, a legal notice by Falana’s legal representatives, Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo E. Olawanle described Bobrisky’s claims in the audio recording as entirely slanderous.
“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,” part of the letter read.
The letter stated that Bobrisky allegedly claimed to have paid N5 million to Falana for a Federal Government pardon and mentioned that the lawyer initially requested N10 million.
The letter further refuted any conversation of such, noting that Bobrisky’s allegations were aimed at extorting money from the public while tarnishing Falana’s professional reputation.
While dismissing the claim of a N5 million payment to Falana, the legal team stressed that Bobrisky had never spoken with Falana or instructed him to write a letter of pardon.
“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 letter added.
This latest development came two days after the Lagos State High Court ordered VeryDarkMan to remove defamatory comments and videos concerning Falana and Falz from his social media platforms.
While delivering his ruling in suit no: ID/8584/GCM/2024, Justice M.O. Dawodu, on Monday, October 14, ruled that the publications made by VeryDarkMan linking Bobrisky to Falz and his father were defamatory and harmful to their public image.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M