Court orders VDM to pay Falana N500m

Court orders VDM to pay Falana N500m, remove defamatory comments, over Bobrisky issue. How will this turn out?

A Lagos State High Court has issued a ruling against Martin Otse, known as VeryDarkMan (VDM). The court orders VDM to remove defamatory comments and videos about lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, Folarin (Falz). Additionally, he must pay N500 million for libel.

Justice M. O. Idowu delivered this judgment in suit no: ID/8584/GCM/2024 on Tuesday. The court found that VeryDarkMan’s posts on September 24, 2024, linked Bobrisky to Falz and his father. These statements were defamatory and harmed their public image, the court held.

Dawodu stated, “According to the applicants, the defendant (VeryDarkMan) knew these statements were false and untrue but proceeded to publish them to injure their reputation.” He also noted that the defamatory statements continue to trend on VDM’s online platforms. This ongoing exposure perpetuates harm to their reputation as long as the publications remain accessible, Punch reports.

Background, as court orders VDM to pay Falana

VDM made a post on social media, which the court now considers defamatory. It was an audio in which Bobrisky allegedly mentioned Falana’s name. 

The situation escalated on September 24, 2024. On that day, VDM published claims. In the published audio, Bobrisky allegedly boasted that he did not serve his jail term inside prison. He also allegedly said Falz helped him to contact his father for a presidential pardon. These allegations sparked public outrage and led the Falana family to take legal action for the harm caused.

Falana is recognized for his contributions to human rights and legal advocacy in Nigeria. His prominence made the defamatory claims particularly troubling. In response, the Falana family sought justice in court, resulting in a ruling from the Lagos State High Court in their favor.