The Lagos State High Court has imposed a N500 million fine on social media critic Martin Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, for defaming prominent lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, musician and activist Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz.
In addition to the fine, the court ordered VeryDarkMan to take down defamatory posts and videos targeting the Falana family.
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Delivering the judgment on Tuesday in suit no: ID/8584/GCM/2024, Justice M. O. Idowu ruled that the defamatory content, which falsely linked the Falanas to controversial internet personality Bobrisky, had caused significant damage to their reputations. The posts, published on September 24, 2024, were found to be malicious and without factual basis.
Justice Idowu noted that the defamatory statements remained on VeryDarkMan’s social media platforms, causing ongoing harm to the Falana family’s public image. The court directed him to immediately remove the content.
Femi Falana, a renowned human rights lawyer, and his son Falz, known for his social activism through music, filed the defamation lawsuit after the damaging claims went viral.
