Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz and son of renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN has given social media influencer VeryDarkMan a 24-hour ultimatum to retract alleged defamatory statements made against him.
The ultimatum was issued through a letter from Falana & Falana Chambers, demanding an immediate retraction and apology for the claims made in a September 25, 2024 post on Instagram.
The post accused Falana of attempting to secure a presidential pardon for Bobrisky in exchange for N10,000,000.
According to the letter, the defamatory remarks were made in a September 25, 2024 post on VeryDarkMan’s Instagram page, which suggested that Femi Falana and his son, Folarin Falana (FALZ), were involved in a controversial matter regarding popular Nigerian crossdresser, Bobrisky.
The post alleged that Falana spoke to Bobrisky in an attempt to “divert justice” and secure a presidential pardon for the sum of N10,000,000.
The letter described these claims as “vicious, wicked, and reckless,” asserting that they were intended to tarnish the lawyer’s esteemed reputation.
It emphasised that Mr. Falana has never communicated with Bobrisky regarding any matter, let alone sought a presidential pardon for the crossdresser.
The letter strongly refuted these accusations, noting that the statements were “false, misleading, and defamatory”, and sought to misrepresent Falana’s lifelong fight against injustice and corruption.
The claims, according to the letter, suggested that Falana’s advocacy was driven by personal financial gain and violated the Legal Practitioner Rules of Professional Conduct.
Falana & Falana Chambers made it clear that while VeryDarkMan is entitled to his right to freedom of expression under the Nigerian Constitution, he has a duty to ensure that any claims he publishes are factual.
The Chambers demanded an immediate retraction of the defamatory statements and a public apology, to be published across all platforms where the false information was disseminated.
Should the retraction and apology not be issued within 24 hours, the Chambers indicated it would pursue legal action, including claims for monetary damages.
The letter concluded by advising the recipient to address the issue urgently to avoid further legal consequences.