Olayiwola Matthew
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, has refuted any involvement with popular crossdresser Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky, or allegations of bribing prison officials to allow Bobrisky serve his sentence outside of the correctional facility.
In a viral video by blogger Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, it was claimed that some unnamed EFCC officers accepted ₦15 million from Bobrisky to drop money laundering charges. VeryDarkMan further alleged that Falana sought a presidential pardon for Bobrisky in exchange for ₦10 million.
During an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Falana denied ever meeting or communicating with Bobrisky.
“Bobrisky never spoke to me. I’ve never met him. I don’t know him at all. He allegedly contacted my son Folarin (Falz),” Falana explained.
He shared that his son, Falz, had received a call from Bobrisky on May 4, asking for ₦3 million to secure placement in a VIP section of the prison. Falz refused and warned him against seeking such favors, advising that any future communication should be through official prison channels.
Falana dismissed the allegations as “infantile radicalism” and emphasized that he has assisted 280 convicted individuals in receiving pardons, without ever accepting money. He expressed concern about defamation, noting that his legal team is considering civil proceedings to protect his and his son’s reputations.
While committed to freedom of expression, Falana stressed that it does not permit defamation or blackmail. He stated that they had requested a retraction and apology, and if not provided, they would proceed with legal action.
On the issue of corruption in Nigeria’s correctional services, Falana expressed surprise at the House of Representatives’ inquiry, noting his longstanding efforts to expose problems within the system.