Lawyer and human rights activist Femi Falana has for the first time addressed allegations surrounding the “presidential pardon” involving himself, controversial transvestite Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, and his son, Falz.
In September, PREMIUM TIMES reported that social media influencer Martins 'VeryDarkMan' Otse posted a leaked audio of Bobrisky on his Instagram page in which the transvestite accused Mr Falana and his son.
In the leaked audio, Bobrisky alleged that Falana and his son contacted him while he was incarcerated at the Kirikiri Correctional Center to help him obtain a presidential pardon if he (Bobrisky) paid him (Falana) N10 million.
Falz responded to the allegations, demanding an apology and retraction from VeryDarkMan within 24 hours.
Addressing the allegations during an interview on Channels TV Politics Today with Seun Okinbaloye on Thursday, Falana denied ever contacting Bobrisky.
He stated: “I never met Bobrisky and he never spoke to me. It is said that he contacted my son Falz. My son told me that Bobrisky approached him on May 4 and asked for N3 million to be placed in a VIP section of the prison, where he was seeking special accommodation.
Falz “My son asked him if he was calling with permission from the prison superintendent and he said no. My son told him not to call again because he wouldn't help bribe the prison authorities. He also warned him to be careful, reminding him that he was already in jail for a crime. My son told me, 'Please, if you need to contact me again, do so through the Superintendent or with a letter endorsed by the prison authority. And that was the last one.'”
Article page with promotion of financial support enters the House of Representatives
Falana expressed concern and surprise over the decision of the House of Representatives to establish a committee to investigate allegations that Bobrisky served his sentence in the VIP section of the prison.
He added that it was difficult to believe that the House would pretend to ignore the existence of VIP sections in Nigerian prisons.
This newspaper reported that the House of Representatives summoned VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the allegations.
While Bobrisky was absent from the panel session, the other parties attended and provided their accounts of the events.
Bobrisky
'I am surprised that the House of Representatives pretends not to know that there is a VIP in prison and proceeded to create a panel to evaluate the state of our penitentiaries. “The Correctional Service Act 2019 has made provisions to address misconduct by correctional officers,” he said.
criminal complaint
Falana also refuted claims that Falz negotiated a N10 million payment with Bobrisky to obtain a presidential pardon, stressing that he obtained pardons for numerous convicts without charges.
Furthermore, he stated that he would not file a criminal complaint against VeryDarkMan, recognizing his role as a defender of freedom of expression.
He said, “This is what I'm going to do. I have resisted the temptation to file a criminal complaint because I lead a team of West African lawyers campaigning for the decriminalization of freedom of expression. We have successfully coordinated this campaign, which is being coordinated by the Media Foundation for West Africa, of which I am a board member. We have achieved this in Liberia, Ghana and Sierra Leone, and we are still appealing to other countries on the continent to do the same.
“But this does not give license to defame or blackmail others. We are saying that if someone defames you, you should sue for defamation. In this case, we will not file a criminal complaint; We will not be pressured. “Instead, we will initiate civil proceedings to restore our integrity, my name and that of my son, so that no one recklessly rushes to social media to defame any Nigerian.”
He emphasized that the VeryDarkMan case is an example of social media users spreading false accusations and defaming others without evidence.
Social Media Influencer Martins 'VeryDarkMan' Otse READ ALSO: N15m Bribe: VeryDarkMan Did Not Defame Femi Falana- Deji Adeyanju
“We want to set an example with this case. We have requested a retraction and apology, which we believe is not too much to ask for. Since neither of them have been provided or accepted, we hope that a civil case will be initiated before the High Court,” he added.
In April, the EFCC arrested Bobrisky and charged him with six counts of money laundering and mutilation of Naira.
During his trial at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice Abimbola Awogboro dismissed the money laundering charges (counts five and six) but sentenced him to six months imprisonment for misuse of naira.