Nigerian cross-dresser, Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye, aka, Bobrisky, has threatened to sue social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, aka, VeryDarkMan, for defamation and blackmail, demanding ₦1 billion in damages.
This comes after VeryDarkMan shared an audio recording online that allegedly featured Bobrisky claiming to have bribed EFCC officials with ₦15 million to drop money laundering charges.
However, Bobrisky denies the allegations, stating the recording was manipulated and defamatory.
Bobrisky’s legal team argues that VeryDarkMan’s actions have harmed his reputation and are seeking compensation. They’ve issued a demand notice to VeryDarkMan, requesting:
“A written apology published in two national daily newspapers and a video recording of the apology on all social media platforms. An undertaking to stop publishing defamatory content about Bobrisky.
“Payment of ₦1 billion within 24 hours and taking down the AI-generated audio recording with defamatory commentary.”
The letter signed by his lawyer, A.R. Omuvwie, Esq. dated 27th September 2024, also drew the attention of the EFCC Chairman and Minister for Interior.
If VeryDarkMan fails to comply, Bobrisky’s team warned will seek legal action in court without further notice, hoping to resolve the matter within 24 hours.
The letter partly read: “We are solicitor and attorney to Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju a.k.a Bobrisky hereinafter referred to as “our client” he has briefed us and we are conversant with the facts of this matter and on his instruction we write this formal reply and demand notice.
“That our client informed us that in the quest of your social media stardom you have continued to make use of his name, personality and his social media influence to create media buzz for your personal gains.
“That in recent times you alleged our client in one of your trending videos on various social media platforms that various DIGs of the Nigeria Police force, lawmakers, senators and politicians generally were in the habit of having sexual intercourse with our client wherein you are yet to provide proof of same till date.
“That you continued to make reckless and unfounded statement including hearsay statement that you cannot prove against our client not minding his mental health and his general wellbeing including his right to privacy and right to freedom of thought, right to life and other constitutional fundamental rights of our client.
“That one will think that after such attempts against our client that you would exercise some level of caution or restrain, considering the safety and wellbeing of our client but your goals are personal and self uplifting for you and your backers, hence you have made it a life goal task to fulfill it by all means notwithstanding its negative effect on our client and other persons who may be caught in your unguided attacks.”
It added, “That it has come to the attention of our client that you recently published an Artificial intelligence generated audio call, claiming that same was between an unnamed individual and our client, for the record our client never had any audio conversation with this fellow who you claim to represent and that your act of defamation and blackmail should be withdrawn against our client within 24 hours of the service of this letter of demand via social media platforms.
“That your Artificial intelligence generated audio conversation published by you is the brainwork of you and any other person that worked with you to create same, we therefore warn going forward that you remove our client’s name from the said recording or anything that may connect our client to the alleged recording. For the record our client had no idea of such telephone conversation with you or any other person.
“That it has come to our notice that since the publication of the said blackmail material and defamatory content by you, our client has suffered immense damages and has gotten several damaging review of his person, his brand and everything he holds dear, just like you threatened in the video earlier published on Tuesday the 24h day of September 2024, stating that failure to pay the demanded sum you would published a damming video and that our client would loss friends not knowing that the said damming video and recording was a defamatory content created by you to put our client in bad light and for your purpose of blackmail and that one would wonder after the payment you still went ahead to publish false information about our client because you have up your sleeves dangerous agendas to accomplish against our client.”
“That our client by this letter put you to strict proof in respect to the authenticity of the said audio recording and that he never had a phone conversation with you or anybody represented by you, so it is quite shocking to our client that you would publish an Artificial intelligence generated audio recording to damage the social standing of our client and to put our client’s life in harm’s way, solely for your selfish personal goals.
“That you alone and anybody working together with you owe the authorities, security agencies and the respected amiable legal and human right fighter explanation as to how you created the audio recording, defamatory words used including your very confident defamatory commentary before and after the Artificial intelligence audio recording.
“For the record our client has and did not alleged any agency or person of bribe or wrong doing hence the burden lies on you to prove to the authorities and the amiable respected personalities you have alleged and defamed, for the records our client served his prison time within the correctional facility in Lagos State hence it is laughable that anyone would believe your Artificial intelligence audio recording stating otherwise.”
