Verydarkman: I Would Never Defame Uncle Femi Falana – Bobrisky

Social media critic Martins Vincent Otse, known as Verydarkman, has refuted claims of defamation against renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN.

In a video posted on his Instagram, Verydarkman expressed his respect for Falana, whom he referred to as his uncle, and denied the allegations. This statement comes after Nigerian rapper Falz threatened legal action against Verydarkman on Wednesday. Falz and his father, Femi Falana, were accused of being involved in a voice recording related to a bribery scandal involving crossdresser Bobrisky and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In response, Verydarkman’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, clarified that his client merely questioned the authenticity of Bobrisky’s claims in the leaked audio and had no intention to defame Femi Falana.

The legal statement reads: “We represent Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, referred to as our client, on whose behalf we act. Our client received your letter dated September 25, 2024, on the aforementioned issue, in which you requested a retraction of his Instagram post containing a voice recording between Mr. Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju (Bobrisky) and a third party.

“Our client denies any defamation of Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, a globally respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights activist. He asserts that the communication was shared to prompt relevant authorities, including your client, to conduct a thorough investigation into the serious allegations made by Mr. Okuneye in the recording, particularly since certain aspects of the recording were confirmed by Mr. Folarin Falana in his solicitor’s letter dated September 25, 2024.”

Verydarkman’s lawyer stressed that the priority should be on investigating Bobrisky’s allegations against EFCC officers rather than focusing on defamation charges.

“Our client holds Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, in high regard and respects his dedication to upholding human rights and the rule of law in Nigeria. Given the circumstances, our client believes the appropriate course of action is an interagency investigation into the allegations in the recording rather than pursuing a defamation case,” Adeyanju stated.

In a separate Facebook post, Adeyanju also addressed Falz, urging him to direct his concerns toward Bobrisky, stating, “Falz should approach Bobrisky regarding everything he/she said. Falz even acknowledged having a phone conversation with Bobrisky. End of discussion.”