Nigerian hip-hop artist Folarin Falana, widely known as Falz, has given popular cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, better known as Bobrisky, a 12-hour window to apologize and retract defamatory statements he made regarding Falz.
This ultimatum was detailed in a letter dated October 14, 2024, and signed by legal representatives Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo E. Olawanle from Falana and Falana’s Chambers. The letter demands that Bobrisky not only retract his comments but also publish a written apology on all platforms where the defamatory remarks were initially shared. Should he fail to comply, Falz’s team is prepared to pursue legal action, including seeking damages.
The situation escalated after Bobrisky alleged that Falz had promised to facilitate a presidential pardon for him via his father, the prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, in exchange for a fee of N10 million. However, Falz’s legal team firmly denies these allegations, asserting that Bobrisky had reached out first to request financial help, which Falz declined.
In the letter titled “Demand for Withdrawal and Retraction of Defamatory Statement Against Mr. Folarin Falana (aka Falz),” Falz accuses Bobrisky of exploiting his recent imprisonment to extort money from various artists and the public. The letter highlights that Bobrisky had contacted Falz on May 4, 2024, seeking N3 million to secure a better placement in the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, which Falz rejected.
The letter states, “You may recall that you called Mr. Folarin 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.” It continues, “Although our client declined your request, you were quoted in a video claiming that his father had promised to write a letter of pardon for you.”
Moreover, Bobrisky is accused of claiming that N10 million would be required to bribe officials involved in processing the pardon application. He also alleged in another video that he had paid N5 million upfront to a Senior Advocate in hopes of securing a pardon from the Federal Government concerning charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The letter further asserts, “It is evident that you intended to enrich yourself at the expense of our client’s reputation. You have published a list of individuals who believed your fabricated story and contributed significant amounts to secure our client’s father’s assistance.”
It adds, “You never instructed our client’s father to draft a pardon letter on your behalf, nor did you ever pay N5 million to him. Your defamatory statements were made recklessly, knowing that you did not reach out to our client regarding any pardon request.”
The lawyers demand the immediate retraction of Bobrisky’s derogatory statements and a public apology across all platforms where the claims were made. They warn that failure to comply within 12 hours would lead to legal action for damages.
In related news, SaharaReporters reported on October 15 that the Lagos State High Court had ordered a blogger, Martins Vincent Otse (aka VeryDarkMan), to remove defamatory content about Falz from his online platforms within 21 days. The court also issued a restraining order against him from further publishing defamatory comments about Falz.
These court orders were granted following an ex-parte application filed by Falz through his attorney, Deji Adeyanju, with the suit dated October 9, 2024. The court’s ruling seeks to prevent any further dissemination of harmful content while the legal proceedings are ongoing.
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