In a growing legal controversy, renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana and his son, rapper Folarin Falana (known as Falz), have issued a stern demand for a public apology from popular crossdresser Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky.

The demand follows the circulation of audio recordings containing what the Falanas describe as defamatory statements made by Bobrisky.

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The controversy erupted after audios, shared by controversial media personality Martin Otse (alias VeryDarkMan), were posted online.

In the recordings, Bobrisky alleged that he had contacted Falz, asking for his help to persuade his father to secure a presidential pardon.

This pardon, Bobrisky claimed, would cost N10 million.

Further, Bobrisky stated he had asked Falz for N3 million to obtain special treatment at Kirikiri Correctional Centre.

In a separate audio, Bobrisky claimed that he had paid N5 million upfront to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria to help secure the pardon in question, which was linked to charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

These claims, however, have been strongly refuted by the Falanas.

In a letter dated October 14, 2024, and signed by their legal representatives, Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo E. Olawanle, the allegations were dismissed as baseless and damaging to their reputations.

The letter, seen by our correspondent, demanded a full retraction of the statements and a public apology on all platforms where the defamatory content was shared.

The legal team emphasized the seriousness of the allegations, stating that Bobrisky’s remarks had caused significant harm to Falana’s reputation as a respected lawyer and human rights advocate.

The Falanas have vowed to pursue legal action if the apology and retraction are not made promptly.

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.”

“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.

“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.” It added