Social media influencer Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has issued a public apology to renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, after making insinuations about his involvement in a bribery scandal linked to crossdresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky.
VeryDarkMan appeared before the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Financial Crimes and Reformatory Institutions on Monday, where he expressed regret for his earlier statements.
He also clarified that he never believed Falana was involved in the alleged bribery concerning Bobrisky, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the Nigeria Correctional Service.
“Apparently, now, some people are taking advantage of what is going to target Femi Falana,” VeryDarkMan said.
“Here, I apologise. It’s so sad that his name was inside that audio. I couldn’t believe as well; that is the part that irritated me more when I said I refuse to believe that he is a party to something like that.”
The controversy stemmed from an audio recording shared by VeryDarkMan, where Bobrisky allegedly claimed she bribed EFCC officials with N15 million to dismiss money laundering charges.
In the recording, Bobrisky also claimed that her “godfather” and the Controller-General of the NCS, Haliru Nababa, helped her avoid serving a six-month prison sentence by arranging for her to stay in a private residence instead.
In response, VeryDarkMan had called for a thorough investigation, stating that he did not intend to defame Falana. He also alleged in a video that Falana sought a presidential pardon for Bobrisky in exchange for N10 million.
However, in a letter dated September 25, 2024, from his law firm, Falana & Falana’s Chambers, Falana denied any involvement in the matter.
Signed by Taiwo E. Olawanle, the letter firmly stated that Falana never spoke to Bobrisky about a pardon or any other issue related to the case.
As the matter unfolds, VeryDarkMan reiterated that his primary aim was to seek justice, not to tarnish Falana’s reputation.
