The Lagos High Court in Ikeja has struck out the ₦1 billion defamation lawsuit filed by renowned lawyer Femi Falana SAN and his son, rapper Falz, against controversial social media commentator VeryDarkMan (VDM).
Why the Lawsuit?
The suit stemmed from VDM’s comments concerning a viral audio recording of popular cross-dresser Bobrisky, in which Bobrisky allegedly claimed he did not serve his full prison sentence and had access to privileges outside the correctional facility.
VDM accused Falana and his son of aiding injustice, prompting the duo to demand ₦500 million eachin damages over what they considered a defamatory social media post.
What Happened in Court?
When the case came up on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, none of the parties—including Falana, Falz, or VDM—were present in court.
Counsel for VDM, Niyi Alagbe, who held brief for Marvin Omorogbe, informed the court about a pending application for stay of proceedings filed before Justice Fimisola Azeez, not Justice Matthias Dawodu who presided on the day.
Falana’s lawyer, Omotayo Olatunbosun, argued that the pending application was a ploy to delay the hearing and urged the court to proceed with the preliminary objection, which was already due for hearing.
Judge’s Ruling
Justice Matthias Dawodu, however, observed that the application mentioned wasn’t in his file and questioned why the case was even before him when the substantive suit was already pending before another judge.
He concluded that continuing with the matter would be merely academic, and accordingly:
“This suit is hereby struck out.”
What This Means
The striking out does not necessarily dismiss the case permanently—it could still be refiled or revived before the appropriate court. However, for now, VDM walks free of the ₦1 billion defamation claim, at least until further legal moves are made.
