Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has written to social media influencer Banke Oniru asking her to retract her allegation that he advised some coordinators of the #EndSARS protest to accept N100 million from Lagos State Government as financial compensation for the damages suffered.
Oniru made the allegation on September 29 on X, accusing the lawyer of not being a “saint”.
“Following the EndSARS unrest, and during the panel of inquiry, the Lagos state government’s initial funding offer was met with resistance. @sarahibrahim and associates then consulted Mr. Femi Falana regarding the substantial sum proposed for advisory purposes,” she wrote.
“Despite Mr. Falana’s counsel to accept the funds as a gift, I deemed it incongruous to accept financial compensation from those we were opposing, fearing it may undermine our integrity.
“The first funds Sarah called me to pick up was 1.5m. The second was 1m. I have proofs. Messages to back it up. The #endsars coordinators shared millions of money severally. Going back and forth to pick a Ghana must go filled with cash at Alausa Ikeja.”
Mr. Falana’s lawyers at Inibehe Effiong Chambers said in a letter addressed to Oniru and dated October 3, 2024, that he has never benefitted from the tragedies that befell victims of the protest.
“Hence he has always advised the Lagos State Government not to pay compensation to the account of his law firm but directly to the account of such victims,” the letter read.
The lawyers said Falana took on all the cases concerning the protest pro bono.
They demanded, “An immediate and complete retraction of the defamatory article published on your X account and on every other platform you have caused same to be published. To be clear, you are to delete the said article(s) from your X and other social media accounts.
“You are to tender an unreserved written apology to our client on your X platform and on four (4) national dailies for the emotional distress and reputational damage your defamatory article has occasioned on our client.”
The lawyers said that should Oniru fail to comply within 14 days of receiving the letter legal action would be taken against her.
