Popular Nigerian rapper, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has issued a 12-hour ultimatum to cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, to immediately retract defamatory statements made against him and offer a public apology.
The warning was delivered through a letter dated October 14, 2024, and signed by Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo E. Olawanle, of Falana and Falana’s Chambers.
Falz’s legal team has demanded that Bobrisky not only retract the false claims but also 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, the renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, for N10 million.
Falz’s legal representatives firmly denied the accusation, revealing that Bobrisky had in fact approached Falz for financial assistance, which was declined.
In the letter titled, “Demand for Withdrawal and Retraction of Defamatory Statements against Mr. Folarin Falana (aka Falz),” the rapper accused Bobrisky of exploiting his recent imprisonment to defraud the public and make false claims about receiving legal help from Falz’s father.
The letter stated: “It is evident that you took advantage of your recent imprisonment to extort money from artists and the public.
“On May 4, 2024, you called Mr. Falz requesting financial assistance of N3 million for a special place in the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, which was refused. You then falsely claimed in a video that Mr. Femi Falana had agreed to write a pardon letter for you.”
Falz’s lawyers also refuted additional claims made by Bobrisky that he had paid N5 million to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria to secure a pardon, labeling these statements as entirely fabricated.
Falz warned Bobrisky that if the retraction and apology are not issued within 12 hours, legal proceedings will commence, potentially resulting in significant financial damages.
In a related case, 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.
The court also prohibited the blogger and his associates from further publishing any defamatory statements until legal proceedings have been resolved.
