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I Don’t Know Bobrisky’ – Falana Issues Warning to VeryDarkMan Over False Claims
Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has denied any connection with embattled crossdresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that Falana made this clarification in response to allegations that he was involved in helping Bobrisky bribe prison officials to serve his sentence outside a correctional facility.
The rumors followed a video by social media activist Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, who alleged that officers from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accepted ₦15 million from Bobrisky to dismiss money laundering charges.
VeryDarkMan further claimed that Falana sought a presidential pardon for Bobrisky in exchange for ₦10 million.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Falana firmly denied these claims, stating, “I have never met Bobrisky, never spoken to him. He was alleged to have spoken to my son Folarin (Falz).”
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Falana revealed that his firm has requested a retraction and apology from VeryDarkMan, warning that failure to comply would result in civil action. He also threatened legal proceedings to protect his and his son’s reputations.
Further clarifying, Falana shared how Bobrisky contacted his son, Folarin, asking for ₦3 million to secure a place in a VIP section of the prison. Folarin rejected the request, advising Bobrisky to follow proper prison procedures.
He said: “Yes, my son said this guy was appealing to people for assistance and called my son, I think on May 4 this year – please can you give me N3 million to be placed in a special part of the prison, we call it the VIP section.
“My son asked him, are you calling me under the authorization of the superintendent of prisons? He said no – please don’t call me again, I am unable to assist you to bribe the prison authorities and be very careful since you are already in prison for an offence.
“Please, if you are you are going to call me next time, you either do it through the superintendent or you write a letter endorsed by the prison authorities and that was the last. Somebody now started releasing tapes somewhere and went out to lampoon and rather defame me by saying the guy has spoken to me.”
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Falana characterized the accusations against him as “infantile radicalism,” emphasizing that he has helped 280 individuals receive pardons without ever accepting payment.
He stated his ongoing efforts to lead a team of West African lawyers advocating for freedom of expression, explaining that this was the reason for not pursuing a criminal case. However, he stressed that defamation and blackmail would not be tolerated, and civil action would follow if the apology wasn’t issued.
Falana also spoke about corruption in the correctional services, mentioning his longstanding work in exposing issues within Nigerian prisons. He expressed surprise at the House of Representatives’ recent decision to form a committee to investigate the state of the country’s correctional centers.
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