Lagos Court Orders VeryDarkMan to Remove Defamatory Posts about Femi Falana; Falz.

Written on 15/10/2024
Vanguard NG

The Lagos State High Court has ruled against social media critic Martin Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in a libel case involving senior lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, musician Folarin Falana (Falz).

The court ordered VeryDarkMan to take down defamatory comments and videos posted online about the Falana family, including those that linked them to internet personality Bobrisky. Justice M. O. Idowu, who presided over the case (suit no: ID/8584/GCM/2024), also imposed a ₦500 million fine for the libel, citing the damaging nature of the remarks made on September 24, 2024.



The court found the statements to be defamatory and damaging to the public image of both Femi Falana and his son. According to the ruling, the social media critic knew the claims were false but published them with the intent to harm their reputations.

“The defamatory statements continue to trend on the defendant’s social media platforms, causing ongoing harm to the applicants’ reputation as long as the publications remain online,” Justice Idowu noted. The court has directed VeryDarkMan to immediately take down the content in question.

 

Background

 

Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), is a highly respected human rights lawyer in Nigeria with a long history of activism and legal work in the defense of civil liberties.

His son, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, is a well-known rapper, actor, and lawyer who is also recognized for his social and political activism, particularly through his music and public engagements.

The incident in question stems from defamatory comments and videos posted by Martin Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, on his social media accounts.

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