Popular social media influencer, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, has issued a public apology to renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, over derogatory comments and bribery allegations he made against the senior lawyer.
VeryDarkMan expressed his regret during a hearing before the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Financial Crimes and Reformatory Institutions on Monday.
The influencer had previously released an audio recording alleging that crossdresser Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky, bribed officials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with N15 million to dismiss money laundering charges against her.
In the recording, Bobrisky also claimed that her godfather and the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Haliru Nababa, ensured she served her six-month sentence in a private apartment instead of prison.
Following these claims, VeryDarkMan accused Falana of seeking a N10 million presidential pardon for Bobrisky.
However, on Monday, the influencer retracted his statements, stating that he never believed Falana was involved.
“I refuse to believe that he is a party to something like that,” he remarked.
VeryDarkMan emphasised that his intention was not to defame Falana but to call for a thorough investigation into the allegations.
In response, Falana, through his legal team at Falana & Falana’s Chambers, had previously denied all allegations.
In a letter dated September 25, 2024, signed by Taiwo E. Olawanle, Falana firmly stated that he had no communication with Bobrisky regarding any pardon or related matters.
