Court orders VeryDarkMan to Remove defamatory posts on Falana, Falz

The Lagos State High Court has ordered social media critic Martin Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, to remove defamatory comments and videos about lawyer and human rights activist Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, Folarin.

Justice M.O. Dawodu issued the ruling in suit no: ID/8584/GCM/2024 on Monday. He stated that VeryDarkMan’s September 24, 2024, posts linking Bobrisky to Falz and his father were defamatory and damaging to their reputations.

According to a Certified True Copy of the ruling, Justice Dawodu noted, “The applicants (Falz and Falana) assert that the defendant (VeryDarkMan) knew these statements were false but chose to publish them, harming their reputation. The defamatory statements are still trending on the defendant’s platforms, causing ongoing injury as long as they remain online. This has prompted the applicants to seek preemptive remedies to prevent further harm that may not be remedied should the court rule in their favor.”

He further ordered, “The defendant, his agents, and representatives are restrained from releasing or circulating any defamatory content about the applicants and must remove the defamatory material published on September 24, 2024, from all social media platforms, pending compliance with the Pre-Action Protocol of this court.”

The court granted the applicants permission to serve necessary court documents to VeryDarkMan through his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, and set a 14-day timeline for this process.

Falz had previously demanded a retraction of defamatory statements made in a recorded conversation involving Idris Okuneye (Bobrisky) concerning financial support and legal assistance mentioned by VeryDarkMan.

In a letter dated September 26, 2024, signed by Falana’s legal representative, the team addressed VeryDarkMan regarding his insinuations about Falz’s involvement in a scheme to secure a presidential pardon for Bobrisky, who faces legal issues over Naira abuse charges. Allegedly, Bobrisky sought legal advice and financial help from Falz, requesting N3 million to secure VIP treatment during his detention.

In response, VeryDarkMan, during a House of Representatives committee meeting on financial crimes, expressed disbelief that Falana was involved in any bribery. He apologized for including Falana’s name in the audio and urged Falz to join him in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.