Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights lawyer, Chief Femi Falana has said he is resisting the temptation to file a criminal complaint against social media activist, Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, who released an audio clip accusing him of facilitating pardon for controversial cross-dresser, Bobrisk.
Falana also clarified that he does not know Bobrisky from anywhere.
Recall that the VeryDarkMan released an audio clip of a supposed conversation between Bobrisky and an unidentified individual.
In the clip, Bobrisky allegedly claimed to have bribed operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with ₦15 million to drop a money laundering case against him.
The recording also suggested that Bobrisky reached out to Falana’s son, Folarin (Falz), seeking his father’s connection to obtain a presidential pardon, with a demand for ₦10 million.
But speaking when he appeared on Channels Television, Falana criticized the audio, stating that he would have pursued legal action if not for his ongoing advocacy for the decriminalization of free speech.
He said, “Bobrisky never spoke to me. I’ve never met him. I don’t know him from Adam. He was alleged to have spoken to my son, Folarin (Falz).”
Falana continued by explaining that his son did receive a call from Bobrisky on May 4, requesting financial assistance to secure a placement in a VIP section of the prison. Falz refused to engage, asking Bobrisky to only make requests through official prison channels.
He added, “We are going to examine the call logs… My son has never negotiated fees on behalf of anyone.”
The senior advocate stressed that although he had the opportunity to file a criminal case, he chose not to, given his role in a broader campaign across West Africa aimed at decriminalizing freedom of expression.
“This campaign is being coordinated by the Media Foundation for West Africa, where I’m a board member… We have succeeded in getting Liberia, Ghana, and Sierra Leone to decriminalize free expression. We are appealing to other countries to follow suit.”
However, he warned that freedom of expression does not justify defamation or blackmail, and expressed his intent to take civil action if an acceptable apology is not offered.
“We have asked for a retraction and an apology… If we don’t receive them, we will initiate civil proceedings in the High Court”