Court Rejects VeryDarkMan’s Legal Objections in Ongoing Defamation Lawsuit Filed by Femi and Folarin Falana
April 16, 2025 – By SpringNewsNG Media Limited
During the Tuesday court session, Justice Matthias Dawodu ruled that the case had already been transferred appropriately and that continuing with the objection would be redundant. The judge described further hearings on that particular motion as “an academic exercise,” declaring the court functus officio—meaning it no longer had jurisdiction over the matter in question.
As a result, the preliminary objection raised by VDM was officially struck out. This development follows a motion filed on April 14, 2025, in which the controversial influencer requested a halt in court proceedings related to both lawsuits filed by the father and son.
Background of the Legal Dispute
The legal battle stems from a video VDM published on social media in 2024, where he accused the Falanas of receiving ₦10 million from Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, to allegedly interfere with judicial proceedings. In response, both Femi Falana and Falz sued the influencer for ₦500 million each, citing reputational damage and defamation.
According to court documents, the plaintiffs claimed that VDM published false accusations without any form of verification, showing clear intent to defame and injure their credibility. They stressed that the influencer acted recklessly and maliciously in making the video public.
Court Grants Protective Orders in Favor of the Falanas
Justice Dawodu, ruling on a separate ex parte motion, acknowledged the plaintiffs’ right to protect their names from slander. The court further ordered VeryDarkMan to remove the controversial video, which was posted on September 24, 2024, and issued a temporary injunction preventing him from publishing further defamatory content against either of the claimants on any digital or social media platform.
These rulings reinforce the legal accountability of online content creators and influencers in Nigeria’s growing digital media space.
