Nigerian rapper Falz has threatened legal action against social media personality VeryDarkMan following allegations linking him and his father to a controversial case involving crossdresser Bobrisky and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Falz made his stance clear in a statement posted on his Instagram page on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, demanding a retraction of the claims within 24 hours.
In the letter, dated 25th September, 2024, signed and addressed to Otse by Taiwo E. Olawanle, Falana & Falana Chambers, threatened to seek legal remedies, including monetary damages, against Oste if the apology and retraction are not received within the next 24 hours
The letter with the title :Demand for withdrawal and retraction of defamatory statement against Mr Femi Falana (SAN,) reads, “We are Counsel to Mr Femi Falana SAN (hereinafter referred to as “our client”) on whose behalf we write this letter regarding your publication and dissemination of defamatory statements against him.
“Your publication of September 25, 2024, on your Instagram page captioned “In everything and everyone that is mentioned here, I will be disappointed if truly FALZ and his father are involved in this whole Bobrisky issue…” refers.In publishing the statement on several online platforms, you informed your large viewership that Mr. Femi Falana “spoke to Bobrisky in order to divert justice”.
“Your publication contained multiple allegations and that you did not expect Mr Femi Falana, who was a lawyer to the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, whom everyone respects to “engage in something like this?”.
The publication further alleged that Mr Femi Falana SAN wanted to get a presidential pardon for Bobrisky for the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten million Naira only)”.
“As if that was not enough, you proceeded to state as follows: ‘I don’t even believe that Femi Falana would bring himself down to this level, the whole Femi Falana would engage himself with something like this”
“…the man started the pardon and he said he wanted to send it to the Minister of Justice in Abuja who will send it to the president to approve it but you know Nigeria with corruption.”
“…Femi FALANA collected N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira) in order to wipe his name off record. These are people I respected. These are people I look up to…it is obvious that Nigeria will not go anywhere soon”.
He said he direct meaning of the imputation, and/or innuendo contained in ithe false, misleading and defamatory statements is that:
“Mr Femi Falana is deceitful and that his motivation for fighting against injustice and corruption in Nigeria and the entire Africa is a ruse.
“Mr Femi Falana spoke to Bobrisky to divert justice with a view to perverting justice for financial gains and material benefits.
“Mr. Femi Falana solicited a brief from Bobrisky and thereby contravened the Legal Practitioner Rules of Professional Conduct.
“Mr Femi Falana has participated in a device that constitutes subterfuge in concert with others who you also characterized as corrupt.
“Mr Falana’s fight against injustice is inconsistent with his publicly acclaimed and validated record of competence, honesty and integrity.
“Mr Falana who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria has engaged in conduct that is incompatible with his profession role and duty as a legal practitioner in Nigeria”.
The controversy erupted after a viral audio recording released by VeryDarkMan on September 24, 2024, where Bobrisky allegedly confessed to paying ₦15 million to some EFCC officers to drop charges of money laundering against him.
In the recording, Bobrisky claimed he was taken to a private apartment instead of a prison and that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and his son were instrumental in getting his charges dismissed.
VeryDarkMan further alleged that Falz, whose real name is Folarin Falana, and his father, Femi Falana, a respected SAN, were the duo behind Bobrisky’s release from EFCC custody.
Falz, clearly angered by the accusations, refuted the claims and warned of potential legal action against VeryDarkMan if the defamatory statements were not retracted promptly.
The allegations sparked a heated debate on social media, causing Falz’s name to trend on X (formerly Twitter).
Meanwhile, Bobrisky, responding to the circulating reports, confirmed paying ₦15 million to evade the money laundering charges but declined to disclose the identities of the EFCC officers or the SAN involved in the process.
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