Nigerian human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has issued a 12-hour ultimatum to Nigerian crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, over allegations that Falana requested ₦10 million to facilitate a presidential pardon.
Recall that Bobrisky, in an audio shared online, claimed that Falana and his son Falz contacted her while she was serving a six-month sentence for naira abuse.
In the recording, Bobrisky alleged that Falz and his father “tried to get me a presidential pardon in exchange for N10 million.”
Naijaonpoint reports that Falana’s legal representatives, Olorunfemi Akinyemi, Esq., and Taiwo E. Olawanle, Esq., in a letter obtained by SaharaRepporters, said Bobrisky’s claims were entirely baseless and damaging to Falana’s reputation.
The team explained that Bobrisky has never spoken to their client or instructed him to write a letter of pardon for him.
Falana’s legal team demanded a full retraction of the claim and an apology, which should be prominently published on all platforms where the statements were disseminated.
They added that if Bobrisky fails to comply within 12 hours of receiving the letter, Falana will pursue legal action, including claims for monetary damages.
The letter reads, “We are Counsel to Mr. Femi Falana SAN (hereinafter referred to as “our client) on whose behalf we write this letter regarding your slanderous statement against him.
“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 would recall that you called Mr. Falarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, on May 4, 2024, and requested him to assist you with the sum of N3,000,000 (Three Million Naira) to secure a special place in the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
“Even though Falz turned down your request you were quoted in a video to have said that he informed you that his father, our client, had undertaken to write a letter of pardon for you. You also said that our client had spoken to you and that the sum of N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira) would be needed to bribe officials who would process the application for your pardon.
“In another video, you claimed that you had paid N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) upfront to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in an attempt to secure a Federal Government pardon over the charges filed against you by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“You also claimed that the Senior Advocate of Nigeria had initially requested N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira) for his legal services but that you explained to him that you were unable to raise the full amount as your account had been frozen by the EFCC.
“In fact, you have since published a list of persons who believed your concocted story and donated millions of Naira to pay our client to write a letter of pardon and bribe some unnamed public officers on your behalf.
“Your decision to involve our client in the criminal enterprise was a figment of your fertile imagination.
“Contrary to your spurious claims, you never briefed our client to write a letter of pardon for you.
“You will agree with us that you made all these defamatory statements in a reckless manner when you knew that you did not call our client on the phone to instruct him to write a letter of pardon on your behalf. Our client has NEVER spoken to you on your pardon or any subject whatsoever.
“We, therefore, demand the immediate retraction of the defamatory and derogatory statements as well as an apology prominently aired or published on all the platforms to which you have disseminated the offensive statement without any justification whatsoever.
“Be advised that if we do not receive your formal retraction and apology as demanded within 12 (twelve) hours of the receipt hereof, we shall proceed with our client’s instructions to seek appropriate legal remedies, including monetary damages, against you for your incendiary, defamatory statements.”