The Lagos State High Court has ordered social media personality Martin Otse, known online as VeryDarkMan, to remove defamatory posts and videos about prominent lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, Folarin Falana, also known as rapper Falz.
The court also imposed a N500 million fine for libel.
Justice M.O. Idowu delivered the ruling on Tuesday, following a case involving offensive comments and videos shared by VeryDarkMan on September 24, 2024.
The posts linked the Falana family to controversial crossdresser Bobrisky.
The court ruled that these statements were defamatory and intended to harm the public image of both Femi Falana and Falz.
Justice Idowu noted that the claims continued to circulate on social media, causing further harm as long as they remained online, and instructed VeryDarkMan to take down the defamatory content immediately.
Femi Falana is a well-known human rights lawyer in Nigeria, widely respected for his activism and legal work defending civil liberties. His son Falz is a popular rapper, actor, and lawyer, also known for his outspoken social and political activism.
The lawsuit stemmed from accusations made by VeryDarkMan on his social media platforms, which the court determined were meant to maliciously tarnish the Falana family’s public image.