N15m Bribery: Falz speaks on VeryDarkMan’s allegations, Bobrisky imprisonment

Singer Falz has addressed ‘presidential pardon’ allegations involving him, controversial crossdresser Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, and his father, human rights activist Femi Falana.

Earlier, PREMIUM TIMES reported that social media influencer Martins ‘VeryDarkMan’ Otse posted a leaked audio of Bobrisky on his Instagram page where the crossdresser indicted Falz and his father.

Bobrisky alleged in the leaked audio that Falz and his father contacted him while he was imprisoned at Kirikiri Correctional Centre to help him secure a presidential pardon.

In April, Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Lagos sentenced Bobrisky to six months in prison for Naira abuse after dismissing the money laundering charges against him.

Bobrisky began serving his six-month prison sentence on 24 March and was released from Kirikiri Correctional Centre on 5 August.

However, in a demand for retraction letter by Falana and Falana’s Chambers and signed by Taiwo Olawanle, Falz denied ever contacting Bobrisky regarding a presidential pardon application.

Infamous call

Falz clarified that he did not contact Bobrisky regarding a presidential pardon. He said Bobrisky reached out to him seeking financial assistance while in prison.

The statement partly read: “To set the records straight, our client never initiated a conversation with Mr Idris Okuneye. Our client has documentary evidence that Mr. Idris was, in fact, the one who began a call. Specifically, on the 4th of May 2024, Mr Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, contacted our client requesting a phone conversation with him. Our client gratuitously obliged, knowing the Naira abuse charges levelled against him and genuinely believing he might require legal advice.

“Mr Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, called shortly after but, instead of soliciting legal advice, stated that he was in distress and needed financial assistance of about N3,000,000 (Three million Naira), which he claimed he needed to pay some officials to be permitted to stay in the VIP section of the Correctional Centre.”

The singer also disclosed in the statement that he advised the crossdresser not to offer any bribes or payments to officials at the Correctional Centre.

“Our client, in the same conversation, advised him that there was no need to pay the officials of the Correctional Centre any money. However, Mr Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, stated that his lawyers had messed up his case by asking him to plead guilty to the charges filed against him.

“Mr Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, insisted on his request for the money, which our client continuously disapproved of,” the statement added.

VeryDarkMan vs Falz

Furthermore, the statement revealed that the actor gave VeryDarkMan a 24-hour ultimatum to retract the homosexual allegations made against him.

In addition, he demanded that the social media influencer issue a public apology across all platforms where the allegations were disseminated.

“We are Counsel to Mr Folarin Falana, aka Falz, referred to as our client from now on. We write you this letter on his behalf regarding your publication and dissemination of defamatory statements against him. Your publication of September 25, 2024, on your Instagram page captioned “In everything and everyone that is mentioned here, I will be disappointed if truly Falz and his father are involved in this whole Bobrisky issue…” has been drawn to our notice wherein you made some defamatory statements against our client.

“Without contacting our client, you went ahead to publish a careless statement containing multiple allegations, including an insinuation that our client is involved in a homosexual affair and intended to get a presidential pardon for Mr Idris Okuneye. Therefore, we demand an immediate retraction of the offensive and derogatory publication and an apology prominently published on all the platforms to which you have disseminated it without any justification whatsoever.”

Legal action

Furthermore, Falz, a lawyer, threatened legal action against VeryDarkMan if he did not retract the allegations and offered an apology within 24 hours.

The ‘Marry Me’ hitmaker stated that VeryDarkMan’s allegations were false, misleading, and defamatory, containing imputations and innuendo that harm his reputation.

“The entire publication was a vicious, wicked and reckless ploy to impugn our client’s reputation and lower him (Falz) in the estimation of right-thinking members of the public.

“Be advised that if we do not receive your formal retraction and apology as demanded within 24 (twenty-four) hours of the receipt hereof, we shall proceed with our client’s instructions to seek appropriate legal remedies, including monetary damages, against you for your incendiary publication and dissemination of defamatory statements. We hope you will urgently address the salient issue in your best interest.”

Investigation

Meanwhile, this newspaper reported that the EFCC invited VeryDarkMan following allegations of an N15 million bribe to drop money laundering charges against Bobrisky.

The anti-graft agency also invited Bobrisky to aid in the ongoing investigation.

The EFCC Chairperson, Ola Olukoyede, also ordered an immediate probe into the bribery allegations involving some commission officers.

Meanwhile, Abubakar Umar, the Nigerian Correctional Service spokesperson, confirmed to this newspaper Wednesday morning that the agency is conducting an independent investigation into the claims.

Mr Umar assured us that a formal letter detailing the outcome of their inquiry would be sent to this publication as soon as it became available.

He said, “Well, my brother, thank you for calling me. We are inquiring. Well, of course, I will send you my letter.”

Bobrisky responds

Furthermore, Bobrisky, in a Facebook post on Wednesday, refuted the allegations in the leaked audio and denied bribing EFCC officials.

The crossdresser tagged the viral audio as ‘fake’ and confirmed that he served his six-month prison sentence at Kirikiri Correctional Centre.

He wrote: “My attention has been drawn to a fake voice recording circulating on the internet that I paid EFCC 15 million naira and that I was never in prison. I didn’t pay EFCC money; it is a big lie. I served my term in full, and I came out. Discard any false information.”

“Imagine believing someone that came out publicly to tell us that you paid hàcker to track someone’s phone, which is against the law, can be desperate to do anything at this point. I didn’t give EFCC any money.”