The defamation lawsuit filed by senior Nigerian lawyer Femi Falana and his son, Folarin (popularly known as Falz), against social media influencer Vincent Otse (also known as VeryDarkMan or VDM) has been postponed until January 23 due to pending applications not yet filed in court records.
VeryDarkMan appeared in the Lagos High Court in Ikeja at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, dressed in red native attire and accompanied by a group of supporters. However, the Falanas were notably absent from the hearing.
On October 14, Justice Matthias Dawodu ruled on an ex-parte application filed by the Falanas, ordering VDM to remove an alleged defamatory video posted on September 24 that targeted both Femi and Folarin Falana. The judge also prohibited VDM from publishing or circulating any further defamatory content about the Falanas until the case is resolved.
Additionally, the court mandated that VDM be served all court documents through his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju.
The Falanas are seeking N500 million in damages each, accusing VDM of posting a video that falsely claimed they accepted N10 million from crossdresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, in an attempt to obstruct justice. They argue that VDM knowingly spread unverified information, which has severely damaged their reputations. They also contend that the defamatory video continues to harm them as long as it remains online.
In response, VDM has filed for leave to appeal the ruling, arguing that a refusal would result in a miscarriage of justice, as the case raises significant legal questions that merit further examination.
