Singer Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz has demanded that activist VeryDarkMan retracts and withdraws alleged defamatory statements made against him.
Falz made this demand on Wednesday on his Instagram page, sharing letters that detailed the allegations and giving the activist 24 hours to issue a public retraction.
This controversy arose after VeryDarkMan, shared an explosive audio clip on Tuesday.
In the recording, popular crossdresser Bobrisky alleged that certain EFCC officers had demanded N15 million in bribes to drop money laundering charges against him.
Bobrisky claimed to have paid the bribe and instead of serving time for currency abuse, was detained in a private apartment.
Adding to the drama, Bobrisky implicated Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Femi Falana and his son Falz, alleging they had assisted him in evading the charges.
As the audio circulated widely on social media, Dele Oyewale, head of media for the EFCC, announced that the Commission’s chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had ordered an investigation into the allegations.
The incident turned Falz into a trending topic on X (formerly Twitter) and other social media platforms, prompting widespread public reaction and eventually a response from the singer.
Falz’s legal team responded with a formal letter titled, “Demand for Withdrawal and Retraction of Defamatory Statements Against Mr. Folarin Falana (AKA Falz).”
Contrary to VeryDarkMan’s claims that Falz had initiated contact with Bobrisky, the letter stated otherwise.
“To set the record straight, our client never at any point initiated a conversation with Idris Okuneye [Bobrisky]. Our client has documentary evidence proving that Mr. Okuneye was the one who initiated contact,” the letter clarified.
According to the letter, Bobrisky reached out to Falz on May 4, to which the latter responded, believing he needed legal assistance.
However, instead of seeking legal advice, Bobrisky allegedly claimed he was in distress and needed N3 million to pay officials to secure a VIP section in a correctional facility, which Falz did not oblige.
The letter also reprimanded VeryDarkMan for failing to contact Falz before publishing the allegations, noting, “Without verifying with our client, you proceeded to publish a reckless statement containing baseless accusations, including an insinuation that our client is involved in a homosexual affair.”
The letter concluded by labeling the allegations as a “wicked and reckless ploy to damage Falz’s reputation” and demanded that VeryDarkMan retract all defamatory claims from all social media platforms within 24 hours, accompanied by a public apology.
In April 2024, Bobrisky was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for defacing the naira.
After pleading guilty to the charges, he was sentenced to six months in prison.
