By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
Nigerian rapper Falz has taken swift action against social media personality Verydarkman, issuing a 24-hour ultimatum for withdrawing defamatory statements.
The controversy started from a viral audio released on September 24, 2024, where Bobrisky alleged that EFCC officers received ₦15 million to drop money laundering charges. Bobrisky also claimed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and his son facilitated the charges’ dismissal.
Verydarkman subsequently alleged that Falz and his father, renowned SAN Femi Falana, were involved in Bobrisky’s case. This accusation sparked widespread reactions on social media, prompting Falz to become a trending topic.
In response, Falz’s legal team posted a document on his Instagram on September 25, 2024, addressing Verydarkman’s claims. The document highlighted Verydarkman’s statement: “In everything and everyone that is mentioned here, I will be disappointed if truly FALZ and his father are involved in this whole Bobrisky issue.”
The document condemned Verydarkman’s allegations as “a vicious, wicked and reckless ploy to impugn the reputation of our client and lower him in the estimation of right-thinking members of the public.” It demanded: “We, therefore, demand an immediate retraction of the offensive and derogatory publication as well as an apology prominently published on all the platforms to which you have disseminated it without any justification whatsoever.”
The document concluded with a stern warning: “Be advised that if we do not receive your formal retraction and apology as demanded within 24 (twenty-four) hours of the receipt hereof, we shall proceed with our client’s instructions to seek appropriate legal remedies, including monetary damages, against you for your incendiary publication and dissemination of defamatory statements.”
