People have threatened to harm my daughter if I take VDM to court – Falana
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has alleged that he and his daughter have received threats amid the ongoing controversy involving a claim of a N10 million ‘presidential pardon’ related to him, his son Falz, and crossdresser Idris ‘Bobrisky’ Okuneye.
In September, PREMIUM TIMES reported that social media influencer Martin ‘VeryDarkMan’ Otse posted a leaked phone call recording implicating Falana and his son. In the audio, Bobrisky claimed that while imprisoned at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, Falana and his son offered to secure a presidential pardon for a fee of N10 million.
However, Falana has denied knowing Bobrisky or soliciting any payment for a pardon. Falz also denied the allegations but acknowledged that Bobrisky had contacted him for financial help amounting to N3 million, which he did not provide.
In an interview with Sahara Reporters posted on YouTube on Monday, Falana revealed that he and his daughter received death threats from supporters of VeryDarkMan. He stated, “Some of these guys, who I believed were mentally derailed, have dared me that if I go to court, they will burn my office, and they’ve also sent messages to one of my daughters that if your father goes to court, we shall kill you.”
Falana reassured his daughter, saying he would pursue legal action. He stated, “I have already taken it up, and we must let these guys know where we’re coming from. I have fought against some more dangerous military regimes in Africa, and the fact that I’m alive today.”
The 66-year-old emphasized that he has never accepted payment for facilitating presidential pardons in his 42 years of legal practice. He recounted a 2022 case where he successfully secured pardons for six Nigerians who had been incarcerated at Kirikiri.
He explained, “In the last 42 years of my legal practice, I have never collected a kobo to write a letter of pardon for anybody… I contacted the human rights body in Thailand… and through various channels, the instrument of pardon was brought to Nigeria.”
Falana characterized the allegations from VeryDarkMan as baseless and unfounded. He further clarified that Falz never sought a pardon from Bobrisky or requested N10 million.
He described Falz as principled and dedicated, saying, “He stands out for principle and decency and will never go out of his way to fund me.” Falz had chosen to pursue a career in entertainment rather than law, seeking to make his own name.
Falana noted that Falz and his siblings often refer victims of injustice to him and have never asked for financial favors. He emphasized that their family does not take money for pardons and that the allegations have sparked public debate, leading to significant actions such as the suspension of senior officials at the Nigerian Correctional Service, investigations by the EFCC, and a probe initiated by the House of Representatives.
