A senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has said that he has never met or had conversation with Idris Okuneye, an Instagram celebrity better known as Bobrisky.
Falana, whilst speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Thursday, stated that said Bobrisky called his son — Falz — to ask for financial assistance for VIP section in prison.
Not long now, VeryDarkMan, a controversial activist, posted a purported audio conversation wherein Bobrisky said that Falana and Falz contacted her.
In that particular recording, the crossdresser alleged that she spoke with Falz in prison and that the rapper and his dad “tried to get me a presidential pardon in exchange for N10,000,000″.
VeryDarkMan, born Martins Vincent Otse, said he has lost the respect he had for Falana following his alleged involvement in the incident.
However, Falana and his son, Falz have threatened to take legal action against VeryDarkMan if he fails to retract his comments and offer an apology.
Back in April, Bobrisky was convicted and sentenced to six months in jail for abusing naira notes.
Whilst answering questions during his appearance on the programme, the top lawyer described the action VeryDarkMan as “infantile radicalism”.
He disclosed that he has assisted 280 convicted persons secure pardon without receiving a dime from them.
Falana elucidated how he effected pardon for convicted soldiers in Nigeria and 200 Nigerians in Libya found guilty of drug-related offences.
Falana added that said he will pursue civil measures on the defamatory remark against him to deter other social media users.
“I think it is a question of infantile radicalism. Some of our young people are not prepared to look at the provisions of the law with respect to the law of defamation,” Falana said.
“They just simply go out there to embarrass people. I can say this without fear of contradiction, I have assisted 280 convicted people home and abroad to get pardon. On no occasion did our law firm demand for or receive a dime or kobo from anybody granted pardon.
“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 (referring to Falz)
“I have resisted the temptation to file a criminal complaint because I’m leading a team of lawyers in West Africa campaigning for decriminalisation of freedom of expression.
“We have succeeded in getting Liberia, Ghana, and Sierra Leone to decriminalise freedom of expression. We are still appealing to other countries in the region but that is not license for defaming and blackmailing people.
“We are not going to file a criminal complaint. We won’t be pushed to do that. What we are going to do is to embark on civil proceedings with a view of restoring our integrity — my own name and that of my son — so that nobody will simply rush to the social media to defame any Nigerian. We want to make an example.”