An Abuja-based social media influencer and activist, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has denied defaming popular human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Femi Falana, over the audio recording he published on his Instagram Story on Tuesday detailing a bribery scandal involving a celebrity crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, a.k.a. Bobrisky.
VDM said he held the senior Lawyer in ‘very high esteem’ and that he recognised Falana’s commitment to the protection of human rights and the rule of law in Nigeria.
VeryDarkMan made the disclosure in a letter by his lawyer, Barr. Deji Adeyanju, dated September 25, 2024, in response to an earlier letter from Falana’s law chambers asking VDM to retract his publication on Instagram about Falana and his son, Folarin Falana, a.k.a Falz, and apologise to the duo or risk a lawsuit and potential monetary damages.
LEADERSHIP recalls that VeryDarkMan had on Tuesday published allegations insinuating that Falz and his father were involved in an underhand dealings to help Bobrisky, who was once jailed over Naira abuse offences, secure a presidential pardon at the cost of N10,000,000.
The Instagram post in question, which stated, “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…,” drew Falz’s ire because according to his lawyers, “the entire publication was a vicious, wicked and reckless ploy to impugn the reputation of our client and lower him in the estimation of right-thinking members of the public.”
But, VeryDarkMan said Falz, a popular rapper, activist and lawyer-son of Falana, ought to use the opportunity of his revelation to initiate investigation and clear his name from the Bobrisky scandal instead of pursuing a case of defamation against him in court.
The social media influencer noted that the investigation became imperative given the fact that Folarin Falana, a.k.a Falz, acknowledged a conversation with Bobrisky in his solicitor’s letter of September 25, 2024.
The VDM’s response letter signed by Barr. Adeyanju reads: “We are Solicitors to Mr. Martins Vincent Otse (hereinafter referred to as our client) on whose instruction we act.
“Our client is in receipt of your letter dated September 25, 2024, on the above subject matter wherein you demanded for the retraction of his Instagram publication containing a voice recording between Mr. Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju (Bobrisky) and a third party.
“Our client denies defaming Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, a renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria and globally recognised human rights activist, but asserts that he only published the said communication with a view to getting the relevant agencies, and even your client, to initiate a thorough investigation into the far reaching allegations made by Mr. Okuneye in the said voice recording, especially as some element of the voice recording has been confirmed by Mr. Folarin Falana in his solicitor’s letter of September 25, 2024.
“Our client holds Mr. Femi Falana, SAN in very high esteem and recognises his commitment to the protection of human rights and rule of law in Nigeria. It is in the light of the foregoing that our client believes that the appropriate line of action in the circumstance is an interagency investigation into the allegations contained in the voice recording, rather than pursuing a case of defamation.”
