The Lagos High Court has delivered a significant ruling in the ongoing defamation case between social media commentator Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), and the renowned father-son duo, human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and rapper Falz. VDM was ordered to pay ₦200,000 in damages after accusing them in a viral 2024 video of being involved in a bribery scandal linked to controversial figure Bobrisky and the EFCC.
VDM had challenged the court’s jurisdiction, claiming the incident did not occur in Lagos, but this objection was dismissed as “baseless and without merit.” The court awarded ₦100,000 each to the Falanas for legal costs. While VDM was absent from court, his lawyer represented him, and Falz was present for the ruling.
The defamation suit itself is still pending, with potentially larger damages on the horizon. This case underscores the increasing scrutiny on social media personalities and the consequences of making serious but unverified claims about public figures.
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