COURT DISMISSES VDM’S OBJECTION IN DEFAMATION SUIT BY FEMI FALANA AND FALZ, ORDERS N200,000 COSTS

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has dismissed the preliminary objections filed by social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), in response to two defamation lawsuits instituted against him by renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, and his son, musician and activist Folarin Falana, also known as Falz.

Delivering separate rulings on the objections on Monday, May 20, 2025, Justice F. A. Azeez held that the objections lacked merit and directed the defendant to pay a total cost of N200,000—N100,000 each to Femi and Folarin Falana.

The judge also ordered the defendant to file his defence in the substantive matters without further delay.

The lawsuits stem from a video published by VDM on September 24, 2024, on his Instagram handle (@verydarkblackman), in which the claimants allege he made defamatory, injurious, and scandalous statements against them. The Falana duo are each demanding N500 million in damages, totaling N1 billion.

They also prayed the court to declare the video publication defamatory, restrain the defendant from making similar statements in the future, and compel him to issue a public apology across his social media platforms and in a national newspaper.

VDM, through his counsel Marvin Omorogbe, had filed a preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the alleged offences occurred outside Lagos. However, the court rejected this claim and ruled that the matter falls within its jurisdiction.

While Femi Falana was represented in court by his lawyers Ernest Olawanle and Femi Akinyemi, Falz was physically present. VDM was absent but legally represented.

Justice Azeez has adjourned the matter to allow the defendant to file his defence.

This ruling follows a related development on April 15, 2025, when another Lagos High Court presided over by Justice Mathias Dawodu struck out a separate pre-emptive action filed by the claimants. The court held that the suit was no longer relevant due to the pendency of the substantive case before Justice Azeez and described the continuation of the application as a “waste of judicial time.”

The defamation suits now proceed in earnest, with both parties preparing for full litigation.