The legal chambers of esteemed human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, have formally demanded a retraction of defamatory statements made against his son, Folarin Falana, widely known as Falz.
This demand follows accusations linking Falz to a conversation with Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, regarding financial assistance and legal aid.
In a letter dated September 26, 2024, signed by Taiwo E. Olawanle, Esq., and shared on Falz’s Instagram page, Falana’s legal team addressed Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, the individual responsible for a social media post suggesting Falz’s involvement in an effort to secure a presidential pardon for Bobrisky, who is facing legal issues related to Naira abuse charges.
The documents allege that Bobrisky sought both legal advice and financial support from Falz, requesting N3 million to bribe correctional centre officials for VIP treatment during his detention. Despite Falz advising that such payments were unnecessary, Bobrisky persisted, leading Falz to refuse any financial assistance.
The letter clarified, “To set the record straight, our client never initiated any conversation with Mr. Idris Okuneye. In fact, Mr. Idris initiated the call, and our client has documentary evidence to prove it.
“Specifically, on May 4, 2024, Mr. Idris Okuneye (Bobrisky) contacted our client seeking a phone conversation. Our client agreed, aware of the Naira abuse charges and believing he may require legal advice.
Shortly after, Mr. Idris called but instead of requesting legal assistance, expressed distress and asked for financial aid amounting to N3,000,000 (Three million Naira), claiming he needed it to bribe officials for VIP privileges at the Correctional Centre.
“Our client advised him there was no need to pay these officials, but Mr. Idris insisted, stating that his lawyers had mishandled his case by urging him to plead guilty to the charges. Despite this, our client maintained his refusal to provide financial support.”
Falana’s legal team stressed that Falz never sought nor agreed to offer Bobrisky financial help and described the social media post as a “malicious, reckless, and false” attempt to damage Falz’s reputation.
The letter demanded an immediate retraction of the defamatory statements within 24 hours, along with a public apology on all platforms where the false claims were circulated.
“Be advised that if we do not receive a formal retraction and apology within 24 hours of receipt of this letter, we will proceed with our client’s instructions to seek legal remedies, including monetary damages, for your defamatory and harmful publication,” the letter stated.
NEWS REVIEW reports that in a viral audio released by VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky claimed that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives demanded and received N15 million to drop money laundering charges against him. The EFCC has since launched an investigation into these allegations.
