Bobrisky Given 12 Hours To Apologise And Retract Defamatory Claims

Human rights activist and lawyer Femi Falana and his son Folarin, better known as Falz, have demanded a public apology and retraction for defamatory statements made by popular transvestite Idris Okuneye, better known as Bobrisky, in an audio recording circulating on the Internet.

In one of the audio recordings shared by controversial media critic Martin Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky claimed to have spoken with Falz and requested Falz’s help in convincing his father (Falana) to obtain a presidential pardon.

The crossdresser also claimed that he demanded N3 million from Falz to secure special treatment at the Kirikiri Correctional Center.

In another audio shared by VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky claimed that in order to secure a federal pardon for the charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Bobrisky demanded N5 million from a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in advance.

However, in a letter issued by Mr. Falana’s legal representatives, Mr. Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Mr. Taiwo E. Olawanle, dated October 14, 2024, and obtained by Didactic Information Hut on Wednesday, Mr. Bobrisky is accused of falsely slandering Mr. Falana and his son over their alleged involvement in the bribery and pardon The letter accuses Mr. Bobrisky of making false and defamatory statements about Mr. Falana and his son’s alleged involvement in bribery and pardons.

The defense lawyers stated that Bobrisky’s allegations were completely unfounded and hurt Falana’s reputation. The defense demanded a full retraction and apology, and asked that the statements be published on all platforms where they were shared.

The letter read, “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 N3,000,000 (Three Million Naira) 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 N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira) was required to bribe officials to process your pardon.”

The letter continued, “In another video, you claimed to have paid N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) 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 N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira) for his legal services but, due to your frozen account, you could not raise the full amount.”

Falana’s legal team insisted that no such conversation had ever taken place and that Bobrisky’s allegations were aimed at extorting money from the public while tarnishing 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,” the letter further stated.

The legal team further insisted that Bobrisky had never spoken with Falana nor instructed him to write a letter of pardon. The claim of a N5 million payment was also dismissed as groundless.

“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,” the lawyers asserted.

“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 (twelve) 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 concluded.