Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has refuted claims linking him to crossdresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, and allegations of bribing prison officials to allow Bobrisky serve his sentence outside a correctional facility.
The controversy began when blogger Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, released a viral video alleging that some unnamed officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accepted ₦15 million from Bobrisky to dismiss money laundering charges against him. Otse further claimed that Falana sought a presidential pardon for Bobrisky in exchange for ₦10 million.
During a live TV appearance on Thursday, Falana categorically denied these accusations, stating that he has never met Bobrisky or had any dealings with him.
“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 said.
He further narrated, “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 authorization 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.”
The SAN, who labelled the allegation “infantile radicalism”, said he has assisted 280 convicted people both home and abroad to get pardon and never on any occasion has he or his law firm demanded for or received a dime from anybody granted pardon.
He said he has resisted the temptation to file a criminal complaint because he is leading a team of lawyers in West Africa campaigning for decriminalisation of freedom of expression.
He, however, said that it is not a licence for defaming and blackmailing people, adding that they will embark on civil proceedings with a view to restoring his integrity and that of his son.
Falana said they want to use this case to set an example so that nobody will simply run to social media to defame any Nigerian.
“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 said.
On the alleged corruption in the correctional service, Falana said that no one has done more than him in exposing the rot in Nigerian correctional centres.
He expressed surprise that the House of Representatives is setting up a panel to ascertain the condition of the correctional centres in the country.
