By The legal chambers of renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana have issued a formal letter demanding the retraction of defamatory statements made against his son, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz.
The demand was in response to allegations linking Falz to a conversation involving Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, regarding financial assistance and legal intervention.
In a letter dated September 26, 2024, signed by Taiwo E. Olawanle, Esq., and posted on Falz’s Instagram page, Falana’s legal team addressed Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, the author of a social media post that insinuated Falz’s involvement in a scheme to secure a presidential pardon for Bobrisky, who has been facing legal issues related to Naira abuse charges.
According to the documents, Bobrisky had allegedly requested legal advice and financial help from Falz, asking for N3 million to pay correctional centre officials to secure VIP treatment during his detention.
Despite being advised by Falz that such payments were unnecessary, Bobrisky insisted, leading to a refusal from Falz to provide financial support.
The document read, “To set the records straight, our client never at any point initiated a conversation with Mr Idris Okuneye. Our client has documentary evidence that Mr. Idris was in fact the one who initiated a call.
“Specifically, on the 4th of May 2024, Mr Idris Okuneye (AKA Bobrisky) contacted our client requesting a phone conversation with him. Our client gratuitously obliged, having knowledge of the Naira abuse charges leveled against him, and genuinely believing he might require legal advice.
“However, when Mr. Idris Okuneye (AKA Bobrisky) called shortly after, instead of seeking legal counsel, he expressed distress and requested financial assistance of N3,000,000 (three million Naira), claiming it was needed to pay officials for VIP treatment at the Correctional Centre.”
“Our client, during the same conversation, advised Mr. Idris Okuneye (AKA Bobrisky) that there was no need to pay any money to the officials of the Correctional Centre. However, Mr. Okuneye claimed that his lawyers had mishandled his case by advising him to plead guilty to the charges against him. Despite this, Mr. Okuneye persisted in his request for the money, which our client continued to disapprove of,” the statement explained.
Falana’s legal team stressed that their client never offered or agreed to provide Bobrisky with financial assistance. They characterized the social media post as a “vicious, wicked, and reckless” attempt to tarnish Falz’s reputation.
The letter demanded an immediate retraction of the defamatory statements within 24 hours of receiving the notice, along with a public apology across all platforms where the remarks had been shared.
“Be advised that if we do not receive your formal retraction and apology as demanded within 24 hours of receipt, we will proceed with our client’s instructions to pursue appropriate legal remedies, including seeking monetary damages, for your incendiary publication and the spread of defamatory statements,” the letter warned.
PUNCH Online reports that, in a viral audio released by VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky alleged that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives demanded and received N15 million from him to drop money laundering charges.
The EFCC responded to the viral audio allegations made by Bobrisky by ordering an immediate investigation into the claims.
