Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has addressed recent allegations that link him to the cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, and accused him of facilitating a presidential pardon. Falana has denied any involvement, emphasizing that he has never had any personal contact with Bobrisky.
The allegations stem from a recent audio clip released by blogger Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, in which Bobrisky allegedly claims to have bribed officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with N15 million to drop money laundering charges against him. The audio also suggests that Bobrisky contacted Falana’s son, Folarin Falana (Falz), asking him to use his father’s influence to obtain a presidential pardon, in exchange for a N10 million payment.
Falana, speaking on *Channels TV*’s *Politics Today*, refuted these claims, stating, “Bobrisky never spoke to me. I’ve never met him. I don’t know him from Adam.” He further explained that while his son, Falz, had been contacted by Bobrisky, the request was rebuffed. Falana disclosed that Bobrisky had asked Falz to help him secure placement in a “VIP” section of a prison, but Falz declined, advising Bobrisky to make such requests through official prison authorities.
READ ALSO: Bobrisky Files N1 Billion Lawsuit Against VeryDarkMan, Demands Retraction Within 24 Hours
Falana criticized the audio clips circulated by VeryDarkMan as defamatory and misleading. While he acknowledged the temptation to file a criminal complaint against the blogger, he cited his ongoing campaign for the decriminalization of free speech as the reason for his restraint.
However, Falana made it clear that a civil lawsuit would be filed if an acceptable apology and retraction are not issued. He stated, “We want to make an example in this case. We have asked for a retraction and an apology… If we don’t have a retraction and apology acceptable to us, we are certainly going to initiate civil proceedings in the High Court.”
The incident has sparked significant public interest, with Falana highlighting the need to address defamation on social media, urging caution in making unverified claims online.
