Renowned Nigerian human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has issued an ultimatum to popular crossdresser Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky. Falana demands a public retraction and apology within 12 hours over claims that Falana requested N10 million to secure a presidential pardon for him.
In a letter dated October 14, 2024, Falana’s legal team, led by Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo E. Olawanle, accused Bobrisky of making defamatory statements. Bobrisky had reportedly alleged in circulating audio recordings that Falana sought N10 million to secure a presidential pardon following Bobrisky’s imprisonment. He also claimed to have already paid N5 million to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria as part of this supposed deal.
The legal team dismissed these claims as baseless and harmful to Falana’s reputation. They demanded that Bobrisky issue a full retraction and apology, which must be prominently shared on all platforms where the statements were initially made.
Should Bobrisky fail to meet the 12-hour deadline, Falana’s lawyers warned that they would pursue legal action, including seeking damages.
The letter, obtained by SaharaReporters, also revealed an attempt by Bobrisky to solicit N3 million from rapper Folarin Falana (Falz), Falana’s son. Bobrisky allegedly claimed that the lawyer had promised to secure special accommodation for him at Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
Falana’s legal team emphasized that these accusations were fabrications aimed at extorting money from the public while tarnishing the lawyer’s professional image. The letter stated, “We are Counsel to Mr. Femi Falana SAN, on whose behalf we write regarding your slanderous statements. You sought to extort money from artists and the public by falsely claiming our client was involved in a bribery scheme.”
The legal team further disclosed that Bobrisky falsely claimed in a video that he had paid N5 million to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in an attempt to secure a federal pardon over charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Bobrisky also stated that this legal representative initially requested N10 million but was paid half as his accounts were frozen by the EFCC.
Falana’s lawyers made it clear that these stories were entirely fictitious and aimed at discrediting their client. The letter noted that Bobrisky had even published a list of donors who supposedly contributed to bribe officials and pay for a letter of pardon.
“In reality, your involvement of our client in this scheme is a product of your imagination,” the letter read. “Contrary to your claims, our client never agreed to write a letter of pardon for you, nor did he communicate with you regarding such a matter.”
The legal representatives emphasized that Bobrisky never engaged their client for a pardon letter, nor did he make any part-payment of N5 million. Additionally, Falana’s legal team noted that Bobrisky’s claims of receiving assistance from Falz or his father were false, further harming Falana’s reputation.
The letter concluded with a demand for Bobrisky to retract and apologize for the defamatory statements within 12 hours or face legal consequences. It warned that Falana would seek monetary damages if Bobrisky failed to comply.
Meanwhile, a Lagos High Court recently ordered VeryDarkMan, also known as Martins Vincent Otse, to remove defamatory posts against Falana from all his social media accounts within 21 days. This followed a lawsuit by Falana, filed after VeryDarkMan posted videos on September 24, 2024, that allegedly defamed the prominent lawyer.
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