We Don’t Collect Money To Write Letter Of Pardon – Falana

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has said he has helped a lot of persons to get pardon from the Federal government, but that it is not in practice, to demand or receive financial benefits for them.

Speaking in an interview with Sahara TV posted on YouTube on Monday, Falana said he has remained an advocate for human rights and will continue to use his platform to assist more persons, without seeking anything in return.

“As a policy, we do not collect fees to write letters for pardon. It is not part of our system because we do not profit from the tragedy of people.

“Once we identify a case of mistrial, injustice or subversion of the judicial system, we intervene.”

Falana cited multiple instances from his 42-year legal career where he intervened in cases of alleged injustice without charging a fee.

Among these, he referenced his role in securing the release of six Nigerians who had been wrongfully detained in the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in 20222 after they were granted pardon by the Thai government in 2017,

“I did a letter addressed to the then Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Ralf Aragbesola, on the day he received the letter, he ordered the authorities of the correction centre, Kirikiri correction Centre to release them, only two of them came here to thank me,” he said.

Falana further emphasised that his practice is driven by a commitment to justice and not financial gain.

“In the last 42 years of my legal practice, I have never ever demanded for a kobo to write a letter of pardon for anybody,” he said.

Falana used the forum to address allegations of seeking a pardon for Bobrisky in exchange for N10 million. He described the claims as infantile and ridiculous.

He expressed disappointment over the allegations, sharing that they had caused concern within his family. Despite this, Falana reassured them of his integrity and commitment.

“I told my family that, at the end of the day, I will not disappoint you,” he said.

Earlier, Martins Otse, a.k.a. VeryDarkMan, shared a voice note on social media, in which Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, claimed that after his conviction and sentencing for abuse of the naira notes in April, his godfather, in collaboration with the Deputy Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, arranged for him to serve his six-month sentence in a private apartment.

He also said he paid a Senior Advocate of Nigeria an advance payment of N5m to process a presidential pardon for him.