October 16, 2024
A Lagos State High Court has ordered social media critic, Martin Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to remove defamatory comments and videos about renowned lawyer Femi Falana, SAN and his son, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz. The court also imposed a N500 million fine for libel.
Justice M. O. Idowu on Tuesday delivered judgment in suit no: ID/8584/GCM/2024. The case centered around defamatory remarks and videos posted by VeryDarkMan on September 24, 2024, linking the Falana family to controversial internet personality Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, predominantly known as Bobrisky.
The court found the statements to be defamatory and damaging to the public image of both Femi Falana and his Falz,
According to the ruling, the social media critic knew the claims were false but published them with the intent to harm their reputations.
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“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.
On September 24, 2024, VeryDarkMan allegedly made unsubstantiated claims linking Femi Falana and Falz to controversial Nigerian internet personality Bobrisky, which they find defamatory given their own respective profiles in Nigerian society.
The Falana family, feeling that their reputation had been maliciously tarnished, filed a defamation lawsuit against VeryDarkMan. The court, upon hearing the case, ruled in their favor, concluding that the allegations were false and designed to harm their reputation.
The N500 million judgment awarded by the court will serve as as a deterrent and the potential consequences of defamation in the digital age.
