Bobrisky Claims Viral Audio AI-Generated, Demands N1bn From VeryDarkMan

Nigerian social media personality and cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, has threatened to file a lawsuit against popular social media critic, Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, for allegedly defaming him using an ‘AI-generated’ audio.

Bobrisky is seeking N1b in damages from the influencer as well as an apology on both national newspapers and social media platforms for the injury the controversy has brought to him.

The saga began after VeryDarkMan, in an audio, shared a voice recording, allegedly from Bobrisky, claiming the cross-dresser paid officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the sum of N15m to drop money laundering charges against him.

Bobrisky has since denied the claims, saying that the voice recordings were generated using AI technology

In a letter dated September 27, 2024, and signed by his counsel, A. R. Omuvwie, Bobrisky gave VeryDarkMan 24hrs to apologise to him or face a defamation lawsuit.

Bobrisky, in the letter, also said VeryDarkMan made unfounded statements against him in the past, where he allegedly accused him of having an affair with highly placed individuals in the society without any proof to those allegations, thereby affecting his mental health in the process.

The letter reads in parts, “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audio conversation with this fellow who you claim to represent and that your act of defamation and blackmail should be withdrawn against our client within 24 hours of the service of this letter of demand via social media platforms.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 24th 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.

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.

“That as it relates to our client we demand that you take down immediately the said Artificial intelligence audio recording published as a video by you with your defamatory commentary voiceover which you dangerously and recklessly alleged our client, same is not a product of our client, hence the name, description or anything whatsoever ascribed to our client in the process of your publishing the said defamatory material.

“We therefore demand in addition on behalf of our client a written apology published in two national daily newspapers, a video recording of your apology to our client published on all your social media platforms, an undertaking to desist from reporting, publishing defamatory contents against our client and the payment in favour of our client the sum of 1,000,000,000 as damages within 24 hours of this letter on you via social media or any other means.”