A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has adjourned the defamation case involving prominent lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, popular rapper Folarin Falana, known as Falz, against social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan. The hearing has been postponed to January 23, 2025.
On Thursday, the court session was halted as several legal documents filed by the parties were reportedly missing from the case file, as confirmed by Channels TV. This led the presiding judge, Justice Matthias Dawodu, to postpone the proceedings to ensure all necessary documentation is available for the next hearing.
The Falanas are seeking N500 million each in damages from Otse over a controversial video he published online. The video allegedly accused the senior lawyer and his son of accepting a bribe of N10 million from Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, to obstruct justice.
In their legal claim, Femi Falana and Falz argued that Otse failed to verify the accuracy of his statements before releasing them on social media, which they believe was a deliberate attempt to damage their reputations. The duo insisted that the claims made by Otse were untrue and defamatory.
As part of an earlier ruling, Justice Dawodu granted an interim order directing Otse to delete the video posted on September 24, which targeted the Falanas. The court also prohibited him from sharing any further defamatory content related to the plaintiffs on his social media platforms until the main suit is heard.
However, Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, remains defiant. In a video posted on his Instagram page on Wednesday, he declared that he would not apologize to Femi Falana or Falz, despite their legal action. He maintained that his video aimed to expose corruption within Nigeria’s legal system, alleging that officials were accepting bribes and acting against public interest.
“I see things that don’t make sense, like people not serving jail terms after being convicted, or the EFCC collecting bribes instead of fighting corruption,” Otse said in the video. “I mentioned Falana and Falz because I believe Nigerians should know the truth.”
Otse further emphasized that he had no intention of retracting his statements or apologizing, even after reportedly trying to make peace by showing respect to Femi Falana in person.
The case has garnered significant attention due to the involvement of high-profile figures and the broader conversation it raises about free speech and accountability on social media. The next hearing on January 23 will determine whether the court finds Otse liable for defamation, as claimed by the Falanas.
This case underscores the ongoing tension between social media influencers and public figures in Nigeria, highlighting the potential legal consequences of unverified allegations made online.
