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By Lizzy Chirkpi
A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has ordered acclaimed social media activist, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to pay a fine of ₦200,000. The ruling which was delivered on Tuesday, 20 May 2025 came after the court dismissed his preliminary objections to a ₦1 billion defamation suit filed against him by renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, music star Folarin Falana (Falz).
Justice Fimisola Azeez, presiding over the case, ruled that VDM’s objections were without merit. The court imposed a fine of ₦100,000 each in favour of Femi Falana and Falz. Furthermore, the judge instructed VDM to immediately file his defence in the ongoing legal proceedings.
The lawsuit is from a video VDM posted on his Instagram account on September 24, 2024. The Falanas contend that the content of the video was defamatory and caused significant damage to their reputations. Each plaintiff is seeking ₦500 million in damages.
During the court session, Falz was present, while his father, Femi Falana, was represented by lawyers Ernest Olawanle and Femi Akinyemi. VDM was absent from court and was represented by his counsel, Marvin Omorogbe.