Renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana has given popular crossdresser Bobrisky a 12-hour deadline to retract and publicly apologize for making defamatory statements.
Falana, through his legal representatives, Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo E. Olawanle, accused Bobrisky of falsely claiming that Falana demanded N10 million to secure a presidential pardon after his recent imprisonment.
Bobrisky alleged in online audio recordings that he paid N5 million to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, accusing Falana of being involved in the payment. However, Falana’s legal team refuted these claims, calling them false and damaging to his reputation. They demanded an immediate retraction and apology on all platforms where the allegations were made.
Additionally, Bobrisky reportedly tried to solicit N3 million from musician Falz, claiming Falana had promised to arrange special accommodation at Kirikiri Correctional Centre. Falana’s team denied the allegations, asserting that Bobrisky’s claims were an attempt to extort money from the public while damaging Falana’s professional reputation.
Falana’s lawyers warned that Bobrisky must comply within 12 hours or face legal consequences, including possible monetary damages.
The letter reads: “We are legal counsel to Mr. Femi Falana SAN (hereinafter referred to as ‘our client’) on whose behalf we write this letter regarding your defamatory remarks.”
They accused Bobrisky of exploiting his recent imprisonment to defraud artists and the public, including contacting Mr. Folarin Falana (Falz) on May 4, 2024, to ask for N3,000,000 to secure special privileges at Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
Despite Falz declining the request, Bobrisky allegedly claimed in a video that Falana had agreed to write a letter of pardon for him and that N10 million was needed to bribe officials handling the pardon application.
The letter continues, stating Bobrisky claimed to have paid N5 million to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria to obtain a Federal Government pardon over charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He also claimed the Senior Advocate initially requested N10 million but was given less due to frozen accounts by the EFCC.
The letter added, “You even published a list of donors who believed your fabricated story and contributed millions of Naira, supposedly for our client to write a pardon letter and bribe unnamed officials on your behalf.”
Falana’s legal team denied Bobrisky’s claims, calling them a figment of his imagination, adding that Bobrisky never contacted Falana to request a pardon letter.
“You made these slanderous statements recklessly, knowing full well that our client had no contact with you regarding any pardon. Our client has never spoken to you on the matter,” the letter states.
The letter also highlighted Falana’s extensive history of securing pardons for over 300 Nigerians convicted in military and civilian courts across Nigeria, Libya, Thailand, and The Gambia on a pro bono basis, emphasizing that Bobrisky’s false claims had severely damaged his reputation internationally.
The lawyers demanded a full retraction and public apology on all platforms where the defamatory statements were made, warning that failure to do so within 12 hours would result in legal action, including a suit for damages.
“We trust you will address these issues promptly in your own best interest,” the letter concluded.
