A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has reacted to the allegation by a social media influencer, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, that he influenced the early release from prison of popular crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky
The Lagos State-based human rights lawyer spoke on this on Thursday on a Channels Television programme: “Politics Today.
Falana 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).
“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.
“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 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 starts releasing tapes somewhere and went out to lampoon and rather defame me by saying the guy has spoken to me.”
Falana said he has not sued the VeryDarkMan because he is leading a team of lawyers in West Africa campaigning for decriminalisation of freedom of expression.
He, however, said that it was not a licence for defaming and blackmailing people, adding that they would embark on civil proceedings with a view to restoring his integrity and that of his son.
He said: “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.”
