The Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has postponed the hearing of a ₦1 billion defamation lawsuit filed by prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), and his son, musician Folarin Falana (popularly known as Falz), against social media influencer Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan. The case is now slated for February 19, 2025.
The adjournment followed a preliminary objection filed by the defendant’s lawyer, Marvin Omorogbe, contesting the court’s jurisdiction to preside over the matter.
The Falanas are suing Otse for ₦500 million each in damages, alleging that he defamed them in a video shared on his social media platforms. In the video, Otse claimed the Falanas accepted ₦10 million from Idris Okuneye (commonly known as Bobrisky) to manipulate justice.
On October 14, 2024, Justice Matthias Dawodu had issued an order mandating Otse to delete the defamatory video and refrain from further defamatory publications against the plaintiffs. Additionally, the court directed that all legal filings be served on Otse through his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju.
In his preliminary objection, the defendant argued that: The Lagos High Court has no territorial jurisdiction over the matter as the defendant resides and conducts business in Abuja, where the alleged defamatory remarks were made and also that, The plaintiffs filed the case in Lagos to seek a potentially favorable outcome, which amounts to forum shopping.
During the resumed hearing, defense counsel Marvin Omorogbe informed the court that he had only received the plaintiff’s counter-affidavit on Wednesday and required additional time to respond. The plaintiff’s lawyer, Omotade Omotunbosun, did not oppose the request for adjournment.
Consequently, Justice Dawodu adjourned the hearing on the preliminary objection to February 19, 2025.
The Falanas further maintained that the allegations made in the video are false, unverified, and were deliberately shared to tarnish their reputation. They allege that the video remains available online, continuing to cause damage to their character.
In their suit, the Falanas seek; A declaration that the publication is defamatory, slanderous, and damaging to their reputation; That ₦500 million should be paid each as damages for the video posted on Instagram on September 24, 2024; That a perpetual injunction restraining Otse from making further defamatory publications; And lastly, an order compelling the defendant to issue a public apology across all social media platforms and in a national daily newspaper.
The court is expected to address the jurisdictional challenge on the next adjourned date.
