Entertainment
How Bobrisky Called Me, Asking for N3m to Secure VIP Section in Prison – Falz
Popular Nigerian rapper and activist, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has confirmed that he had contact with controversial social media personality, Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, in relation to legal issues Bobrisky faced earlier this year.
He also said that Bobrisky begged him for N3m to secure a VIP section at the Correctional Centre.
This clarification comes on Wednesday after Falana’s legal team, Falana & Falana Chambers, issued a letter to Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, demanding the retraction of defamatory statements made against Falz.
According to the letter, the controversial social media post suggested that Falz had conspired with Bobrisky to “pervert the course of justice” by assisting him financially to secure a favourable outcome for his legal troubles.
In the letter dated September 26, 2024, Falz’s lawyer, Taiwo E. Olawanle, outlined the sequence of events, explaining that while Bobrisky had indeed reached out to Falz for advice, Falz firmly rejected the notion of providing financial assistance, insisting that no payments were necessary.
The letter read, “Your publication of September 25, 2024, on your Instagram page captioned “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…” has been drawn to our notice wherein you made some defamatory statements against our client.
“To set the records straight, our client never at any point initiated a conversation with Mr Idris Okuneye. Our client has documentary evidence that Mr. Idris was in fact the one who initiated a call.
“Specifically, on the 4th of May 2024, Mr Idris Okuneye (AKA Bobrisky) contacted our client requesting a phone conversation with him. Our client gratuitously obliged, having knowledge of the Naira abuse charges leveled against him, and genuinely believing he might require legal advice.
“Mr Idris Okuneye (Aka Bobrisky) called shortly after but instead of soliciting legal advice, stated that he was in distress and needed financial assistance of about N3,000,000 (Three million Naira) which he claimed he needed to pay some officials to be permitted to stay in the VIP section of the Correctional Centre.”
The letter added, “Our client, in the same conversation, advised him that there was no need to pay the officials of the Correctional Centre any money. However, Mr Idris Okuneye (Aka Bobrisky) stated that his lawyers had messed up his case by asking him to plead guilty to the charges filed against him. Mr Idris Okuneye (Aka Bobrisky) insisted on his request for the money which our client continuously disapproved.
“Without contacting our client, you went ahead to publish a careless statement containing multiple allegations including an insinuation that our client is involved in a homosexual affair and intended to get a presidential pardon for Mr Idris Okuneye.”
Falana & Falana Chambers demanded an immediate retraction of the defamatory statements and a public apology to be issued across all platforms where the accusations were disseminated. The letter warned that failure to comply within 24 hours would result in legal action, including a claim for monetary damages for the harm caused to Falz’s reputation.
A viral video shared by VeryDarkMan revealed Bobrisky’s allegation that unnamed EFCC officers collected N15 million from him to drop money laundering charges.
Bobrisky has, however, denied the bribery allegations. The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, also ordered an immediate investigation into the matter.
Entertainment
Actor Lalude Laments Unpaid N1.5m Promised Him by MC Oluomo to Campaign for Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu
Nollywood actor, Fatai Adekunle Adetayo, popularly known as Lalude, has accused the president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), MC Oluomo, of failing to fulfil financial promises made to celebrities who campaigned for President Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during the 2023 general elections.
Speaking during a recent episode of the Beyond the Fame podcast, Lalude expressed deep disappointment over what he described as abandonment, revealing that he and other entertainers were promised N1.5 million each by MC Oluomo but never received a dime.
Lalude, known for his iconic ‘babalawo’ roles in Yoruba movies, said he and other actors, including comedian Ganiu ‘Alapini’ Nofiu, were lodged and made to campaign for weeks without proper compensation.
According to him, they initially received N10,000 daily for feeding, but even that was stopped abruptly.
“We were camped for seven weeks. We trekked long distances every day while MC Oluomo followed us in his car. In the end, we were abandoned,” he lamented.
He claimed that both he and Alapini were promised N1.5 million each, a promise that was never fulfilled.
‘We finished the work and no dime was given to us. Is it good? It was MC who called us.
“MC promised me and Alapini. He asked us to demand for whatever we wanted. We did but we got nothing up till date.
“He took us to where we lodged to campaign for the president. He promised to give us N1.5 million each.
“Whoever is behind these misdeeds will not prosper. I know they will still come to us by 2027 and we are waiting for them?” He added bitterly.
This comes just days after veteran Nollywood actor Ganiu Nafiu, popularly known as Alapini, and actress Bukky Adekogbe Raji, also known as Aminatu Papapa, expressed deep regret for supporting President Tinubu during the 2023 presidential campaign.
Popular Nigerian film and stage producer, Kayode Peters, has passed away in Canada.
“Yes, he is,” Yaw told Peoples Gazette when asked if Mr Peters had died. “I am still trying to speak with his brother but he is not picking.”
Circumstances surrounding the producer’s death remain unclear as of the time of this report.
Mr Peters was known for his work on several stage plays and sitcoms, including Extended Family, and he was behind the hit comedy sitcom Flatmates in the early 2000s. He was also regarded as a significant contributor to Nigeria’s contemporary theatre and television space.
Anna Wintour has stepped down as the editor-in-chief of Vogue after an impressive 37-year tenure.
According to recent reports, Condé Nast, the publisher of Vogue, has initiated the search for her successor.
This significant development marks a new era in the fashion industry, given Wintour’s unparalleled influence in shaping Vogue’s editorial direction and cementing its position as a global fashion authority.
As Wintour’s legacy continues to inspire future generations of fashion enthusiasts and industry professionals, her departure raises questions about Vogue’s future direction and the potential shifts in editorial focus.
However, the circumstances surrounding her departure remain undisclosed.
