Nigerian rapper Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, and his father, human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), have issued a 12-hour ultimatum to cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, to retract defamatory statements and tender a public apology.
The ultimatum was delivered through a letter dated October 14, 2024, and signed by Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo E. Olawanle of Falana and Falana’s Chambers. The letter demands that Bobrisky retract the false claims and publish a written apology on all platforms where the defamatory remarks were made. Failure to comply will lead to legal action, including a claim for damages.
The controversy arose after Bobrisky alleged that Falz had offered to secure a presidential pardon through his father, Femi Falana, for N10 million. However, Falz’s legal team denied these claims, revealing that Bobrisky had approached Falz for financial assistance of N3 million to secure a special place in the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, which was refused.
The letter accused Bobrisky of exploiting his recent imprisonment to extort money from artists and the public by making false claims about receiving legal help from Falz’s father. It stated that Bobrisky never spoke to Femi Falana or instructed him to write a letter of pardon and that the claims of paying N5 million to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria were entirely fabricated.
In a related development, a Lagos State High Court recently ordered popular blogger Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, to remove defamatory content about Falz from all social media platforms within 21 days and prohibited him from further publishing any defamatory statements until legal proceedings have been resolved.
