A Lagos High Court has thrown out a preliminary objection filed by controversial social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, greater referred to as VeryDarkMan (VDM), in a N1 billion defamation lawsuit brought against him by senior suggest of Nigeria Femi Falana and his son, acclaimed rapper and activist Folarin Falana, popularly referred to as Falz.
Justice F. Azeez, presiding over the matter, dominated that VDM’s objection lacked merit and ordered the influencer to pay N200,000 in prices – split equally between Falz and his father.
The think further directed the defendant to file his formal defence immediately, clearing the path for the defamation trial to proceed.
The suit stems from a video published on VDM’s Instagram page (@verydarkblackman) on September 24, 2024, in which the Falanas scream they were the targets of “libellous, scandalous, and defamatory remarks.”
The father-son duo is seeking N500 million every in damages, together with a perpetual injunction to prevent Otse or his friends from repeating or disseminating same statements in the future.
Whereas Folarin Falana changed into once unique in courtroom for the proceedings, his father changed into once represented by proper counsel Ernest Olawanle and Femi Akinyemi. VDM, who changed into once absent from courtroom, changed into once represented by his attorney, Marvin Omorogbe.
The ruling marks an early procedural victory for the Falanas and raises broader questions on accountability in the age of viral commentary and digital influence.
