VeryDarkMan Fined ₦200,000 in Falana and Falz Defamation Lawsuit
Social media personality Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has been fined ₦200,000 by a Lagos High Court in the ongoing ₦1 billion defamation lawsuit filed by human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, rapper and activist Folarin Falana, known professionally as Falz.
The legal dispute began after a 2024 viral video in which VDM accused the Falana duo of hypocrisy and questioned their activism. He linked them to an audio recording where Bobrisky alleged that certain EFCC officers collected ₦15 million to drop money laundering charges. In the same audio, Bobrisky claimed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and his son were involved in getting the charges dropped. VDM later alleged that those individuals were none other than Femi Falana and Falz.
In response, the Falanas filed a lawsuit demanding ₦1 billion in damages for defamation and reputational damage. VDM challenged the suit with a preliminary objection, arguing that the court had no jurisdiction since the alleged offence occurred outside Lagos. However, the court rejected his objection this week, labeling it baseless and lacking merit.
As part of the ruling, the judge ordered VDM to pay ₦100,000 each to Femi Falana and Falz, totaling ₦200,000 in damages. While Falz appeared in court, Femi Falana was represented by his lawyers, Ernest Olawale and Femi Akinyemi. VDM, who was also absent, was represented by attorney Marvin Omorogbe.
What did the court decide about VDM’s objection?
The court dismissed VeryDarkMan’s objection, saying it had no legal merit. The judge ruled that the defamation suit would continue and ordered him to pay ₦200,000 in damages to the Falanas.
The case has been adjourned until July 18, 2025, for further hearings as the legal battle continues to unfold.
