Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), a prominent human rights lawyer, and his son, Folarin “Falz” Falana, a renowned musician, have jointly demanded that Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, issue a public apology and retract defamatory statements made against them in circulating audio recordings.
Persecondnews recalls that Bobrisky allegedly claimed in an audio recording shared by Martin Otse (VeryDarkMan) that he sought Falz’s help to secure a presidential pardon through his father, Femi Falana, for a fee of N10 million.
Additionally, Bobrisky purportedly stated that he requested N3 million from Falz to facilitate special treatment during his incarceration 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’s pardon over charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Femi Falana’s legal representatives – Mr. Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Mr. Taiwo E. Olawanle – issued a letter on October 14, 2024, accusing Bobrisky of making false and defamatory statements about Falana and his son’s involvement in alleged bribery and pardon.
The legal team described Bobrisky’s claims as entirely unfounded and damaging to Falana’s reputation.
They demanded a full retraction and apology to be published on all platforms where the statements were shared.
The letter reads:“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 million 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 million was required to bribe officials to process your pardon.
“In another video, you claimed to have paid N5 million 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 million for his legal services but, due to your frozen account, you could not raise the full amount.”
The letter also stated: “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.”
Additionally, the legal team emphasized that Bobrisky had never spoken with Falana or been instructed to write a letter of pardon.
The claim of a N5 million payment was also dismissed as groundless.
It said: “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.
“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 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 said.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State High Court has ordered VeryDarkMan to remove defamatory comments and videos concerning Falana and his son, Folarin, from his social media platforms.
Justice M.O. Dawodu issued the ruling in suit no. ID/8584/GCM/2024 on Monday.
He ruled that the publications made by VeryDarkMan on his social media platforms on September 24, 2024, linking Bobrisky to Falz and his father, were defamatory and harmful to their public image.
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