N1 Billion Defamation Suit:Court Restrains VeryDarkMan From Further Attacks on Falana, Falz

N1 Billion Defamation Suit:Court Restrains VeryDarkMan From Further Attacks on Falana, Falz

In a significant ruling, the Lagos High Court in Ikeja has ordered social media influencer Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, to immediately remove defamatory videos and comments targeting renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana and his son, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz.

Justice Matthias Dawodu's ruling also restrains VeryDarkMan from further publishing or circulating defamatory content against the Falanas on all his online platforms, pending the hearing of their lawsuit. The court granted the Falanas' request for an interim order, citing their right to protection from slander.

The controversy began when VeryDarkMan posted a video alleging that Femi Falana and Falz received ₦10 million from Idris Okuneye (Bobrisky) to influence justice. However, the Falanas claim this accusation is entirely false and aimed at damaging their reputation. They are seeking ₦500 million each in damages.

According to the lawsuit, VeryDarkMan's actions were reckless and intended to harm the Falanas' reputation. The court agreed, stating that the Falanas have a legal right to be protected from defamation.

In his ruling, Justice Dawodu said, "There is no doubt that the applicants have legal rights not to be defamed and have proved the possible existence of a breach of same through the depositions in their affidavit."

As a result, the court ordered VeryDarkMan to take down the defamatory video and comments from all his social media handles and refrain from publishing or circulating any further defamatory content against the Falanas.

Additionally, the court allowed the Falanas to serve VeryDarkMan with legal processes through his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, and granted them 14 days to file and serve the pre-action bundles, originating processes, and other accompanying processes on the defendant.

The orders will lapse after 21 days.

The Falanas argued that the alleged defamatory publication is still trending on VeryDarkMan's online handles and pages, causing continuous injury to their reputation.

VeryDarkMan's video publication had stated that Femi Falana collected ₦10 million from Bobrisky, despite the absence of any evidence supporting this claim.

This ruling sets a significant precedent for online accountability and emphasizes the importance of responsible social media usage.

The case highlights the need for social media influencers to verify information before sharing it and to avoid spreading harmful and false information that can damage individuals' reputations.

As the lawsuit progresses, the Falanas will seek to prove that VeryDarkMan's actions were malicious and aimed at tarnishing their reputation.

The ruling is a victory for the Falanas and a warning to social media influencers to be mindful of the content they share online.