Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has refuted claims linking him to crossdresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, regarding allegations of bribing prison officials to secure a more favorable detention arrangement.
The accusations surfaced in a viral video by blogger Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, who alleged that some unidentified officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission accepted ₦15 million from Bobrisky to drop money laundering charges. The blogger also claimed that Falana sought a presidential pardon for Bobrisky in exchange for ₦10 million.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Falana categorically denied any involvement. “Bobrisky never spoke to me, I have never met him, I do not know him from Adam,” Falana stated.
He added that the crossdresser had allegedly contacted his son, Nigerian musician and activist Folarin Falana, known as Falz, earlier in the year seeking assistance.
Falana explained, “My son said this guy was appealing to people for assistance and called on May 4, asking for ₦3 million to be placed in a VIP section of the prison. My son asked if he had permission from the prison authorities, and when he said no, my son refused to assist him.”
Addressing the allegations further, Falana described them as “infantile radicalism” and insisted that neither he nor his law firm had ever accepted payment for securing pardons. “I have assisted 280 convicted individuals, both in Nigeria and abroad, to obtain pardons without ever receiving a dime.”
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Falana revealed he has resisted filing a criminal complaint, citing his commitment to campaigning for the decriminalization of freedom of expression across West Africa.
However, he emphasized that this freedom does not give anyone the right to defame or blackmail others.
“We have asked for a retraction and an apology, and if we do not receive one that is acceptable to us, we are certainly going to initiate civil proceedings in the high court,” Falana warned.
Falana also addressed corruption within Nigeria’s correctional facilities, expressing surprise over the House of Representatives’ decision to set up a panel to investigate the conditions of the country’s correctional centers. “No one has done more than me in exposing the rot in Nigerian correctional centres,” he asserted.
The senior lawyer stressed the need for accountability, while reiterating his commitment to using legal channels to restore his and his son’s reputations.
