- The court has dismissed VeryDarkMan’s objection in Falana, Falz’ defamation suit.
- Justice F. Afeez dismissed preliminary objections by Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, in a N1 billion defamation suit against Femi Falana and his son, Falz.
A Lagos High Court has dismissed a preliminary objection filed by controversial social media critic, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), in a N1 billion defamation lawsuit filed by renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, rapper and activist Folarin Falana, better known as Falz.
According to Vanguard, the ruling was delivered by Justice F. Azeez on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The judge ruled that VDM’s application lacked merit and subsequently ordered him to pay a total of ₦200,000 in costs—₦100,000 each to Femi and Folarin Falana.
The court also directed the defendant to file his statement of defence without delay.
The defamation suit stems from a video posted by VDM on his Instagram page (@verydarkblackman) on September 24, 2024, which the Falanas claim contains defamatory and damaging content about them. They are each seeking ₦500 million in damages, totaling ₦1 billion.
Femi Falana was represented in court by lawyers Ernest Olawanle and Femi Akinyemi, while Falz appeared in person. VDM, who was absent, was represented by his legal counsel, Marvin Omorogbe.
In the suit, the plaintiffs accuse VDM of making libellous and malicious remarks that have harmed their reputation. They are also seeking a court declaration that the video is defamatory, along with a perpetual injunction barring VDM and his associates from making or publishing similar content in the future.
