October 15, 2024
By Samuel Ogunsona
Lagos State High Court has directed social media critic Martin Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to immediately remove defamatory posts targeting renowned human rights activist Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, Folarin.
Justice M. O. Dawodu delivered the judgment on Monday in suit ID/8584/GCM/2024, declaring that VeryDarkMan’s September 24, 2024 social media posts linking Bobrisky to Falz and his father were defamatory and injurious to their public image.
Dawodu stated, “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.”
Femi Falana’s counsel, Olorunfemi Akinyemi, had sought an apology and retraction of the defamatory statements.
The court’s decision upholds Falana’s claims, emphasizing the importance of protecting individuals from defamation and reputational harm.
