Femi Falana, a human rights activist and his son Folarin Falz, have demanded a public apology and retraction of defamatory statements made by the popular crossdresser, Idris Okuneye in audio recording circulated online.
VeryDarkMan, a media analyst, shared an audio in which Bobrisky claimed he had spoken to Falz, requesting his help to persuade his father Falana, to secure a presidential pardon, which allegedly cost 10 million naira.
Falz was allegedly asked for N3 million by the crossdresser to secure special treatment at Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
In another audio shared by VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky claimed to have paid N5 million upfront to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in an attempt to secure a Federal Government pardon over charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Falana’s legal representatives, Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo E. Olawanle, issued a letter dated 14 October 2024, accusing Bobrisky of making false and defamatory statements about Falana and his son’s involvement in the alleged bribery and pardon.
The letter read: “We represent Mr. Femi Falana SAN and Mr. Folarin Falana, also known as Falz hereinafter referred to as ‘our clients , and we are writing this letter on their behalf in respect of your slanderous remarks against them.”
The legal team characterized Bobrisky’s assertions as completely baseless and harmful to Falana’s reputation. They requested a full retraction and an apology to be published on all platforms where the statements were disseminated.
“We have verified that you exploited your recent imprisonment to extort money from a group of artists and other members of the public.
“You may remember that on 4 May 2024, you contacted Mr. Folarin Falana, widely known as Falz, and requested N3,000,000, Three Million Naira, to obtain preferential treatment at Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
“Even though Falz declined your request, you falsely asserted in a video that he informed you his father, our client, had agreed to draft a letter of pardon for you. You also claimed that our client had communicated with you and that N10,000,000 Ten Million Naira , was necessary to bribe officials to facilitate your pardon.
“In another video, you claimed to have paid N5,000,000 Five Million Naira, upfront to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria for a Federal Government pardon related to EFCC charges. You alleged that the Senior Advocate initially asked for N10,000,000 Ten Million Naira, but you couldn’t pay the full amount because your account was frozen,” the letter stated.
Falana’s legal team claimed 0that no such discussion happened and that Bobrisky’s claims were an attempt to extort money from the public while harming 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.
“You made these defamatory claims carelessly, fully aware that our client was never contacted about a pardon. Our client has NEVER engaged with you on this issue,” the lawyers asserted.
“Given that he has obtained pardons for over 300 Nigerians in different countries on a pro bono basis, your false statements have significantly damaged his reputation both nationally and internationally.
“We demand an immediate withdrawal of your defamatory comments and a public apology on all platforms where your statements were shared.
“If we do not receive your formal retraction and apology within 12 hours, we will take legal action, including pursuing damages for your malicious remarks.
“We advise you to address these concerns swiftly for your own benefit,” the legal team concluded.
Credible News.ng
