The Lagos State High Court has ordered social media critic, Martin Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to remove defamatory posts and videos about prominent lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, musician Folarin Falana, also known as Falz. Presiding over the case (suit no: ID/8584/GCM/2024), Justice M. O. Idowu fined Otse ₦500 million for libel and directed him to compensate the Falanas for damages.
The court’s decision was based on a series of posts Otse made on September 24, 2024, where he falsely linked the Falanas to Nigerian internet personality Bobrisky. Justice Idowu ruled that the statements were “defamatory and injurious” to their public reputations, with the court emphasizing that Otse was aware the claims were false but proceeded to publish them anyway.
Femi Falana and Falz argued that the accusations had no factual basis and were made to damage their reputation. The court noted that ...s remained visible on Otse’s social media, prolonging the harm caused. Justice Idowu’s ruling highlighted the importance of removing defamatory content to prevent further reputational damage, marking a significant moment in Nigeria’s battle against online defamation.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
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