Justice M. O. Dawodu of the Lagos State High Court has slapped a fine of N500 million on the controversial social media critic, Mr Martin Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), for defaming Lagos lawyer, Mr Femi Falana and his son, Folarin, popularly called Falz.
The judge also ordered him to remove defamatory comments and videos about the two men.
According to him, the publications made by VDM on his social media accounts on September 24, 2024, linking Bobrisky to Falz and his father were defamatory and injurious to their public image.
VDM had in a social media post published an audio said to be a conversation between Bobrisky and an undisclosed friend, where he alleged that operatives or the EFCC demanded the sum of N15 million from him to drop the money laundering charge against him, while he was in detention.
According to the video, Bobrisky was said to have revealed that he was in a private apartment rather than in prison, as his “godfather” used his connections to make it happen.
Furthermore, he was said to have alleged that Falana demanded the sum of N10 million from him, in order to apply for a state pardon on his behalf.
Falana had, in an ex-parte application instituted on October 9, sued VDM following his comments concerning a case between a cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye also known as Bobrisky and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Part of the judgement reads: “The defendant, his agents, and privies are hereby restrained from further releasing, publishing, or circulating any defamatory videos/comments about the applicant and to bring down the defamatory video/comments about the applicant published on 24th September, 2024 on all his online social media handles/pages pending compliance with the pre-action protocol of this honourable court.
“Leave is hereby granted to the applicant to serve the pre-action bundles, originating processes, and all other court processes between parties herein on the defendant by substituted means through his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju Esq. of Deji Adeyanju & Partners at Terrace Block D4, White Diamond Estate, Makuru Street, Off Embu Street, Off Aminu, Wuse II, Abuja.
“The applicant must file and serve the pre-action bundles, originating processes, and other accompanying processes on the Defendant within 14 days from today.”
