The Lagos State High Court has ordered popular activist, Martin Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to immediately remove ‘defamatory’ videos made against, Human rights activist, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and his son, Folarin Falana.
Justice M. O. Dawodu gave the order while in a suit marked; ID/8584/GCM/2024 on Tuesday.
According to him, the 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.
Falana, in an ex-parte application instituted on Oct. 9, sued VeryDarkMan following his comments concerning a case between Social media Influencer and Cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye also known as Bobrisky and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In his , Justice Dawodu held that the 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.
Part of the ruling as sighted by NewsNGR read, “The Defendant, his agents, and privies are hereby restrained from further releasing, publishing, or circulating any defamatory videos/comments about the Applicant and to bring down the defamatory video/comments about the Applicant published on 24th September, 2024 on all his online social media handles/pages pending compliance with the Pre-Action Protocol of this Honourable Court.
“Leave is hereby granted to the Applicant to serve the Pre-Action Bundles, Originating Processes, and all other court processes between parties herein on the Defendant by substituted means through his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju Esq. of Deji Adeyanju & Partners at Terrace Block D4, White Diamond Estate, Makuru Street, Off Embu Street, Off Aminu, Wuse II, Abuja.
“The Applicant must file and serve the Pre-action Bundles, Originating processes, and other accompanying processes on the Defendant within 14 days from today.” the judge held.
VeryDarkMan had in a social media post punished an audio said to be conversation between Bobrisky and an undisclosed friend, where he alleged that operatives or the EFCC demanded the sum of N15m from him to drop the money laundering charge against him, while he was in detention.
According to the video, Bobrisky was said to reveal that he was in a private apartment rather than in prison, as his “godfather” used his connections to make it happen.
Furthermore, the socialite is said to have alleged that Falana demanded the sum of N10m from him, in order to apply for a state pardon on his behalf.