Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has given crossdresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, 12 hours to apologise over allegations that he requested N10 million to facilitate a presidential pardon.
Bobrisky earlier claimed in audio recordings published by social media influencer Martin Otse aka VeryDarkMan that Falana’s rapper son Falz promised to secure him special accommodation at Kirikiri Correctional Centre with the sum of N3 million when he was imprisoned for abusing the naira.
He also claimed a certain “senior advocate of Nigeria” asked for N10 million to secure a presidential pardon for him. The crossdresser alleged he had already paid N5 million to the “senior advocate of Nigeria,” fueling speculations he was referring to Falana.
However, in a letter dated October 14, 2024, Falana’s lawyers Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo Olawanle, said the claims were entirely baseless and damaging to Falana’s reputation.
They demanded a full retraction and apology which should be published on all platforms where the statements were disseminated.
The letter reads, “We are Counsel to Mr. Femi Falana SAN (hereinafter referred to as “our client) on whose behalf we write this letter regarding your slanderous statement against him.
“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 would recall that you called Mr. Falarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, on May 4, 2024, and requested him to assist you with the sum of N3,000,000 (Three Million Naira) to secure a special place in the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
“Even though Falz turned down your request you were quoted in a video to have said that he informed you that his father, our client, had undertaken to write a letter of pardon for you. You also said that our client had spoken to you and that the sum of N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira) would be needed to bribe officials who would process the application for your pardon.”
It continued, “In another video, you claimed that you had paid N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) upfront to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in an attempt to secure a Federal Government pardon over the charges filed against you by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“You also claimed that the Senior Advocate of Nigeria had initially requested N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira) for his legal services but that you explained to him that you were unable to raise the full amount as your account had been frozen by the EFCC.”
Falana’s legal team noted that Bobrisky set out to enrich himself at the expense of their client’s reputation.
“In fact, you have since published a list of persons who believed your concocted story and donated millions of Naira to pay our client to write a letter of pardon and bribe some unnamed public officers on your behalf.
“Your decision to involve our client in the criminal enterprise was a figment of your fertile imagination.
“Contrary to your spurious claims, you never briefed our client to write a letter of pardon for you,” the letter reads.
The legal team explained that Bobrisky has never spoken to their client nor instructed him to write a letter of pardon for him.
They further denied that Bobrisky made a partial payment of N5 million to their client and that their client never informed him that he had submitted a letter of pardon on his behalf.
“We, therefore, demand the immediate retraction of the defamatory and derogatory statements as well as an apology prominently aired or published on all the platforms to which you have disseminated the offensive statement without any justification whatsoever.
“Be advised that if we do not receive your formal retraction and apology as demanded within 12 (twelve) hours of the receipt hereof, we shall proceed with our client’s instructions to seek appropriate legal remedies, including monetary damages, against you for your incendiary defamatory statements. We hope that the salient issues raised herein will urgently be addressed by you in your own interest,” they added.
