Lawyer Falana Speaks Out on Alleged N10 Million Bribe for Bobrisky’s Presidential Pardon

Femi Falana, Renowned human rights lawyer, SAN, has denied allegations linking him to crossdresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, in a bribery and pardon scandal.

The accusations originated from a viral video by blogger Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, who claimed that Bobrisky paid ₦15 million to EFCC officers to drop money laundering charges. The blogger also alleged that Falana sought a presidential pardon for Bobrisky in exchange for ₦10 million.

However, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Falana firmly refuted the claims, stating that he has never met or spoken to Bobrisky. He explained that Bobrisky had allegedly contacted his son, Folarin (Falz), for financial help while in prison, requesting ₦3 million to secure a spot in the VIP section.

Falana recounted the situation: “Bobrisky never spoke to me. I have never met him. I do not know him at all. He allegedly reached out to my son, Folarin.”

He continued, “My son told me that Bobrisky was appealing to people for help, and he called my son on May 4 this year, asking for ₦3 million to be placed in the VIP section of the prison. My son responded by asking if he was calling under the authorization of the prison superintendent. When Bobrisky said no, my son declined to assist, stating that he would not be involved in bribing prison authorities.”

Falana emphasized that after that interaction, no further communication occurred. He dismissed the allegations as defamatory, criticizing the release of tapes that falsely implicated him.