The Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has adjourned the defamation case brought by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Femi Falana and his son, musician and activist Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, against social critic Vincent Otse, also known as Very Dark Man (VDM). The hearing, scheduled for November 14, was postponed because key applications from both parties were not yet included in the court file.
The legal dispute began following a video posted by VDM on September 24, where he accused the Falanas of accepting a N10 million bribe from social media personality Idris Okuneye (Bobrisky) to obstruct justice. In response, the Falanas filed defamation suits claiming N500 million each, alleging the accusations were baseless and intended to harm their reputations.
On October 14, Justice Matthias Dawodu ruled on an ex parte application by the Falanas, affirming their legal rights to protection from defamation. The judge ordered VDM to remove the allegedly defamatory video and barred him from releasing or circulating any further content that could damage the reputation of the Falanas pending the case’s resolution.
Justice Dawodu also directed that all legal documents related to the case be served to VDM through his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju. The Falanas maintain that the continued availability of the defamatory video online worsens the reputational damage with each passing day.
In response, VDM has filed an appeal request, seeking permission from the court to challenge the interim ruling.
The adjournment highlights the complexity and high stakes of the defamation case, which underscores the legal and reputational challenges associated with social media and online publications. The court will set a new hearing date once all necessary filings are in place.
