JUST IN: Court orders arrest of VeryDarkMan for ‘defamation’
A Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of social media influencer and activist, Martins Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), for allegedly defaming renowned gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.
Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana made the ruling on Thursday, directing the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to arrest VDM and bring him before the court to face the charges brought against him by Chinwo.
The court’s decision follows VDM’s failure to honor a summons issued on March 5, compelling him to appear in court. Magistrate Iyana dismissed a plea from VDM’s counsel, Deji Adeyanju, requesting that his client be allowed to appear personally at the next hearing.
Mercy Chinwo, in her lawsuit filed on March 3, accused VDM of making defamatory statements against her in several posts shared across his social media platforms in February. The posts accused her of breaching her contract with her former record label, owned by Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, and allegedly diverting funds from shows without compensating the label as required by the contract.
Chinwo’s lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, stated that the claims made by VDM were “malicious and damaging” to the singer’s reputation. Olajengbesi pointed out that VDM, despite not being involved in the dispute between Chinwo and the record label, presented the matter in a manner that tarnished the singer’s public image.
Olajengbesi further asserted, “The Claimant avers that she has neither had any form of relationship with the Defendant nor was the Defendant involved in the issue between the Claimant and Mr. EeZee Tee in any material particular. The statements made by the Defendant in his viral videos were false, damning, and injurious to the Claimant’s public image.”
In the legal suit, Chinwo seeks a court order requiring VDM to remove the defamatory posts from all his social media platforms. The lawsuit also demands that VDM publish a retraction and an unreserved apology to Chinwo on all his social media platforms and in two widely circulated national newspapers.
Additionally, Chinwo is seeking N1 billion in general damages for defamation, N100 million in punitive and aggravated damages, N25 million for the cost of the suit, and 10% interest on the judgment amount until it is fully paid. She also demands that the apology be published in four national dailies for at least 14 consecutive days.
This case follows an earlier controversy where Chinwo accused her former label owner, EeZee Tee, of exploitation, threats to her safety, and spreading false rumors about the paternity of her child. In an Instagram video, Chinwo claimed that EeZee Tee had threatened her safety, prompting her to relocate from Lagos to Port Harcourt.
