Francis Iwuchukwu 
Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has filed for permission to appeal a Lagos State high court ruling favouring prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, and his son, musician and activist, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz.
The ruling, delivered by Justice M. O. Dawodu on October 14, upheld a defamation claim by the Falanas, alleging that VeryDarkMan’s social media content contained defamatory statements against them.
The case originated from a post involving Bobrisky, a popular cross-dresser, where VeryDarkMan alleged that Falz had assisted Bobrisky financially and legally, specifically claiming that Falz sought a presidential pardon for Bobrisky following legal troubles over naira abuse.
In a formal response dated September 26, Falana’s legal team, represented by Taiwo Olawanle, demanded a retraction, describing the allegations as false and defamatory.
Court documents detail that Bobrisky purportedly sought Falz’s support, including a request for N3 million for VIP treatment during detention.
Following this, Justice Dawodu ordered VeryDarkMan to remove the video and posts referencing the Falanas, suspending further publications until a pre-action protocol was completed.
