The Lagos State High Court has ordered controversial content creator Vincent Martin Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to delete defamatory comments and videos concerning lawyer and human rights activist Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, Folarin better known as Falz.
Justice M. O. Dawodu delivered the ruling in suit no: ID/8584/GCM/2024 on Monday.
The judge averred that publications made by VeryDarkMan on his social media accounts on September 24, 2024, linking Bobrisky to Falz and his father were defamatory and injurious to their public image.
“According to the applicants (Falz and Falana), the defendant (VeryDarkMan) knew these statements (Bobrisky’s claims) were false and untrue but proceeded to publish them to injure their reputation.
“Furthermore, the defamatory statements are still trending on the defendant (VeryDarkMan)’s several online platforms and the injury to their reputation continues as long as the publication remains online”, Dawodu said.
Falana had told Channels TV that VeryDarkMan defamed him and he would file a civil suit against him. Before the the interview Falana had demanded an apology which VDM failed to issue.
In a viral audio posted by VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky had alleged that he bribed some Economic and Financial Crimes Commission officials with N15 million to drop the money laundering charge against him.
In the purported recording, the crossdresser also claimed that his “godfather,” alongside the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, ensured he served the six-month sentence in a private apartment and not in prison.
Also in the clip, Bobrisky claimed that he spoke with the SAN’s rapper and actor son Falz, who said he would speak with his dad to get him presidential pardon. This has now been denied by the Falanas who threatened to go to court to clear their names.
But in the interview on Channels TV, the respected lawyer said he has helped about 250 people seek for state pardon without any form of payment.
He said, “Bobrisky never spoke to me, I have never met him, I do not know him from Adam. He was alleged to have spoken to my son Folarin (Falz).
“Yes, my son said this guy was appealing to people for assistance and called my son I think on May 4 this year – please can you give me N3 million to be placed in a special part of the prison, we call it the VIP section.
“My son asked him, are you calling me under the authorization of the superintendent of prisons? He said no – please don’t call me again, I am unable to assist you to bribe the prison authorities and be very careful since you are already in prison for an offence.
“Please if you are you are going to call me next time, you either do through the superintendent or you write a letter endorsed by the prison authorities and that was the last. Somebody now start releasing tapes somewhere and went out to lampoon and rather defame me by saying the guy has spoken to me.”
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