Folakemi Falana, daughter of prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana and sister to Nigerian musician Falz, has strongly refuted bribery and corruption allegations made by social media influencer VeryDarkMan (VDM). The accusations claimed that the Falana family was involved in securing a favorable prison arrangement for popular socialite Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, during his incarceration.
In an Instagram post, Folakemi clarified that her father had never met or communicated with Bobrisky. She explained that while Bobrisky had reached out to her brother Falz for financial assistance during his time in prison, the request was solely for help in securing a more comfortable stay in the VIP section of the prison. She emphasized that there was no discussion of a presidential pardon in their interactions.
Folakemi supported her claims by sharing documents that showed her family’s law firm, Falana & Falana Chambers, has been providing free legal support for individuals seeking presidential pardons since 2016. She stressed that any Nigerian citizen has the right to request a pardon for a convicted person, and her family has consistently offered transparent, cost-free assistance in such cases.
Addressing the wider allegations, Folakemi expressed disappointment over false rumors that not only accused her father and brother of corruption but also suggested that Falz was involved in a homosexual relationship with Bobrisky. She criticized Nigerians for being too quick to believe baseless claims, urging the public to think critically about the information they consume.
She wrote, “It’s unfortunate that some Nigerians act like they can’t read or think for themselves. It’s even crazier that all it takes is for a ridiculous character like VDM to accuse my dad and Falz of bribery, corruption, and perversion of justice, and suddenly you forget who they are and what they stand for. The audacity to accuse Falz of being homosexual and having an affair with Bobrisky is wild. The fact that some of you believe it is what’s blowing my mind.”
Folakemi stressed that her family has no financial motives for engaging with Bobrisky and reiterated that Bobrisky had only approached Falz for help while in prison, just as he had reached out to other celebrities. She also noted that her father had never been involved in Bobrisky’s legal situation.
In her concluding remarks, Folakemi issued a legal threat to VDM, stating, “Seeing as you have refused to do the needful, #VeryDarkMan, see you in court.”
The controversy began after VDM released audio recordings where Bobrisky allegedly claimed that Femi Falana and Falz had negotiated a 10 million naira settlement to resolve his legal case. In response, Falz issued a 24-hour ultimatum to VDM, demanding a retraction of all defamatory statements.
