Lagos-based rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, alongside his son, Folarin, (also known as Falz) have demanded a formal retraction and public apology within 12 hours from a convicted cross-dresser, Idris Okunneye (a.k.a. Bobrisky) over alleged defamatory statements which were said to have emanated against them.
A letter dated October 14, 2024, captioned ‘Demand for withdrawal and retraction of defamatory statement against Mr Femi Falana, SAN’, issued by two counsels from the Falana and Falana chambers, Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo Olawanle, stated that Bobrisky allegedly took advantage of his recent imprisonment to extort money from some artists and other members of the public, in a bid to secure a special cell for his confinement following his conviction by the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, for abuse of the Naira in May this year.
“It is undoubtedly clear that you set out to enrich yourself at the expense of our client’s reputation.
“In fact, you have since published a list of persons who believed your concocted story and donated millions of Naira to pay our client’s father to write a letter of pardon and bribe some unnamed public officers on your behalf,” the letter added.
Falana’s law firm insisted that Bobrisky’s alleged decision to involve the Falanas in the criminal enterprise was a figment of his fertile imagination, as the SAN was never briefed to write a letter of pardon for him or bribe officials for that process.
The lawyers declared that failure to issue a formal retraction and apology as demanded within 12 (twelve) hours of the receipt of the letter, would make the law firm proceed to seek appropriate legal remedies, including monetary damages, against Bobrisky for the alleged incendiary defamatory statements.
