A Lagos court has struck out the ₦1bn defamation lawsuit filed by Femi Falana and Falz against activist Verydarkman. The case arose from social media allegations linking the Falanas to judicial misconduct. The judge ruled it was procedurally misplaced, effectively ending the proceedings—for now.
A Lagos High Court on Tuesday dismissed a high-profile defamation case filed by human rights advocate Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, rapper Folarin Falana (aka Falz), against social media activist Martins Otse, known online as Verydarkman (VDM). The suit, which sought ₦1 billion in damages, stemmed from a viral audio allegedly implicating the Falanas in manipulating the justice system—a claim originally attributed to controversial figure Bobrisky and later amplified by VDM in a commentary video.
During the scheduled court session, none of the involved parties appeared. VDM’s legal representative, Niyi Alagbe, told the court that a request for a stay of proceedings had been filed with Justice Fimisola Azeez, the judge now assigned the main case. Falana’s lawyer argued that the day’s preliminary objection should still be heard, describing the stay application as a delay tactic. But presiding Justice Matthias Dawodu questioned why the case remained in his courtroom, given its transfer. Declaring that continuing would serve no legal purpose, he struck out the case.
