The Lagos State High Court has ordered controversial social media commentator Martin Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, to remove defamatory comments and videos about renowned lawyer and human rights activist Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, Folarin. The court ruling, delivered by Justice M.O. Dawodu, came on Monday in suit no: ID/8584/GCM/2024.
The case stems from publications made by VeryDarkMan on his social media platforms on September 24, 2024, where he linked popular Nigerian celebrity Bobrisky to Falz and his father, Femi Falana. Justice Dawodu noted that these statements were not only false but also harmful to the public image of the Falana family.
“The defendant knew these statements were false and untrue but proceeded to publish them to injure their reputation,” the judge said, referring to VeryDarkMan. He added that the continued presence of these defamatory statements online had caused ongoing damage to the plaintiffs’ reputation.
The court further highlighted that as long as the offending content remained on VeryDarkMan’s social media platforms, the injury to the reputation of Falana and his son would persist. Justice Dawodu ordered that the posts be removed immediately and emphasized the gravity of the defamation.
