DEFAMATION CASE | COURT DISMISSES VERYDARKMAN’S PRELIMINARY OBJECTION, STAY OF PROCEEDINGS IN SUITS FILED BY FEMI FALANA AND FALZ
The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the preliminary objection and application for a stay of proceedings filed by Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), in the ongoing defamation lawsuit initiated against him by Nigerian entertainer Folarin Falana, widely known by his stage name Falz, and his father, prominent human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana.
The legal action stems from a controversial video shared by Otse on his various social media platforms. In the video, Otse alleged that both Falz and his father received a sum of ten million naira from popular cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, purportedly in exchange for using their influence to obstruct justice on Bobrisky’s behalf.
In response to the allegations, Falz and Femi Falana filed a defamation lawsuit against Otse, each seeking damages to the tune of five hundred million naira, among other reliefs.
Initially, Otse’s application failed due to procedural non-compliance with the originating summons. However, upon addressing those procedural issues, he submitted a fresh preliminary objection, this time arguing that the lawsuit constituted a case of multiplicity of actions.
Nevertheless, the court on Tuesday ruled against VDM Otse, striking out his preliminary objection. The judge stated that the matter had already become functus officio—a legal term indicating that the court had completed its duties on the issue—since the case had now been properly refiled and was pending before a different court. As such, the judge noted that entertaining further proceedings on the objection would be merely academic and without practical legal consequence.
