NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s leading online newspaper. Published by Africa’s international award-winning journalist, Mr. Isaac Umunna, NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s first truly professional online daily newspaper. It is published from Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and media hub, and has a provision for occasional special print editions. Thanks to our vast network of sources and dedicated team of professional journalists and contributors spread across Nigeria and overseas, NEWS EXPRESS has become synonymous with newsbreaks and exclusive stories from around the world.
VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky, Falz
Social media personality, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as Verydarkman, has stated that Nigerian rapper, Folarin Falana, professionally known as Falz, has already confirmed some aspects of a controversial bribery scandal voice recording involving crossdresser, Bobrisky and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Tribune Online reports that Nigerian rapper, Falz, on Wednesday, threatened legal action against Verydarkman following accusations linking him and his father, Falana, to the trending voice recording.
Reacting to the allegations via a letter addressed to Falana’s legal team, Deji Adeyanju, the solicitor representing Verydarkman, revealed that Falz has already acknowledged some elements of the voice recording in his own legal correspondence.
According to the letter, dated 25 September 2024, Verydarkman clarified that his client’s publication of the voice recording was not intended to defame Mr Falana, but rather to draw attention to serious allegations warranting investigation.
Verydarkman further emphasised his respect for Mr Falana’s reputation and human rights work, insisting that the appropriate course of action should be an interagency investigation into the allegations, not defamation claims.
The letter, titled “RE: DEMAND FOR WITHDRAWAL AND RETRACTION OF DEFAMATORY STATEMENT AGAINST MR FEMI FALANA, SAN,” reads, “We are Solicitors to Mr. Martins Vincent Otse (hereinafter referred to as our client) on whose instruction we act.
Our client is in receipt of your letter dated September 25, 2024, on the above subject matter wherein you demanded for the retraction of his Instagram publication containing a voice recording between Mr Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju (Bobrisky) and a third party.
“Our client denies defaming Mr Femi Falana, SAN, a renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria and globally recognised human rights activist, but asserts that he only published the said communication with a view to getting the relevant agencies, and even your client, to initiate a thorough investigation into the far reaching allegations made by Mr Okuneye in the said voice recording, especially as some element of the voice recording has been confirmed by Mr Folarin Falana in his solicitor’s letter of September 25, 2024.
“Our client holds Mr. Femi Falana, SAN in very high esteem and recognises his commitment to the protection of human rights and rule of law in Nigeria. It is in the light of the foregoing that our client believes that the appropriate line of action in the circumstance is an interagency investigation into the allegations contained in the voice recording rather than pursuing a case of defamation.” (Nigerian Tribune)