The Lagos State High Court has ordered social media critic Martin Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, to take down defamatory posts and videos involving lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, Folarin, also known as Falz. The ruling, delivered by Justice M.O. Dawodu in case no: ID/8584/GCM/2024, addresses claims that Otse linked Falana and Falz to Bobrisky in his social media posts on September 24, 2024. The court ruled that these statements were false and damaging to their reputations.
Justice Dawodu noted that the defamatory content is still accessible on Otse’s platforms, causing ongoing harm to the applicants. The court issued a restraining order, preventing Otse from publishing further defamatory material and instructed him to remove the existing content. Additionally, the court granted permission for the plaintiffs to serve legal documents through Otse’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, within 14 days. The restraining order will expire upon compliance with this ruling.
Falz had previously requested a retraction of defamatory statements made against him and his father in a recorded conversation involving Idris Okuneye (Bobrisky), which was released by VeryDarkMan. The legal team of Falana, Falz’s father, sent a letter on September 26, 2024, addressing VeryDarkMan, who had insinuated that Falz was involved in a scheme to secure a presidential pardon for Bobrisky, who is facing legal issues over charges related to Naira abuse.
The documents alleged that Bobrisky sought legal advice and financial assistance from Falz, specifically requesting N3 million to bribe correctional center officials for VIP treatment during his detention.
In response, VeryDarkMan testified before the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Financial Crimes and Reformatory Institutions, stating he did not believe Falana was involved in the alleged bribery. He expressed regret that Falana’s name was mentioned in the audio and urged Falz to join him in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
