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Justice F. Afeez of the Lagos High Court has dismissed the preliminary objections filed by social media commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), in a ₦1 billion defamation suit brought against him by renowned human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, and his son, musician Folarin Falana, professionally known as Falz.
According to Vanguard, while ruling on the matter on Tuesday, May 20, Justice Afeez held that VDM’s application lacked merit. The court subsequently awarded costs totaling ₦200,000 against the defendant—₦100,000 each in favour of Femi and Folarin Falana.
The judge further ordered VDM to immediately file his defence in the substantive suit. The lawsuit stems from a video posted by the defendant on his Instagram page (@verydarkblackman) on September 24, 2024. The Falanas claim the content of the video was defamatory and damaging to their reputation. Each is seeking ₦500 million in damages, bringing the total to ₦1 billion.
At the hearing, Mr. Femi Falana was represented by his legal team, Ernest Olawanle and Femi Akinyemi. His son, Folarin, was present in court. VDM, though absent, was represented by his counsel, Marvin Omorogbe.
In their separate suits, the claimants allege that VDM made libellous, scandalous, and defamatory remarks against them in the aforementioned video. They are asking the court to declare the publication defamatory and to issue a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, his agents, or associates from making or disseminating similar statements in the future.
