- Femi Falana firmly denied any connection with Bobrisky and addressed bribery allegations
- He emphasised his commitment to decriminalising freedom of speech while condemning defamation
- Falana stated his intention to pursue civil action to protect him and his son’s reputations
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana SAN has dismissed claims, dismissed any involvement with the popular crossdresser Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky, or the allegations that he facilitated bribing prison officials for Bobrisky to serve his sentence outside the correctional facility.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, on Thursday, October 3, Falana denied ever meeting or speaking with Bobrisky. He said, “Bobrisky never spoke to me, I have never met him, I do not know him from Adam. He was alleged to have spoken to my son Folarin (Falz).”
Falana calls bribery accusations against him “infantile radicalism”
Recall that in a viral video posted by blogger Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, some unidentified Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officers allegedly took N15 million from Bobrisky to clear him of money laundering accusations.
VeryDarkMan further claimed that Falana had requested a presidential pardon for Bobrisky in return for N10 million.
However, the renowned human rights lawyer labelled the accusation as "infantile radicalism" and emphasised that he had facilitated the pardon of 280 convicted persons, both within Nigeria and abroad, without ever soliciting or accepting any money from those who were pardoned.
Son receives request for N3m to secure VIP section, Falana
Regarding the alleged corruption in prisons, Falana emphasised that he has played a leading role in uncovering the extensive problems within Nigerian correctional institutions.
He expressed his disbelief that the House of Representatives was establishing a panel to evaluate the state of the country's correctional centres.
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.
Falana recounts son's conversation about bribing prison authorities
“My son asked him, are you calling me under the authorisation 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 through the superintendent or you write a letter endorsed by the prison authorities and that was the last. Somebody now start releasing tapes somewhere and went out to lampoon and rather defame me by saying the guy has spoken to me.”
He explained that he had resisted the urge to pursue a criminal case, as he was actively leading a group of lawyers in West Africa focused on campaigning for the decriminalisation of freedom of speech.
Falana stresses that freedom of speech does not justify defamation and blackmail
However, he emphasised that this freedom is not an excuse for defamation and blackmail, and they would initiate a civil action to protect his reputation and that of his son.
Falana also mentioned that they aim to set an example with this case, deterring others from turning to social media to tarnish the reputation of Nigerians.
“We have asked for a retraction and an apology rendered to us and that is not too much. And if we do not have a retraction and apology acceptable to us, we are certainly going to initiate civil proceedings in the high court,” he stated.
Bobrisky saga: “See you in court,” Falz’s sister writes VeryDarkMan over defamation
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the sister to Afrobeats singer Falz, Folakemi Falana reacted to the allegations between VeryDarkMan and Bobrisky.
Folakemi clarified her father and brother in the alleged case of bribery and corruption with Bobrisky and threatened legal suit against VeryDarkMan if he failed to fulfil the retraction of his defamatory comments