Court set date to hear defamation case between Falz, Falana and VeryDarkMan

On Court for Lagos don postpone till 23 January 2025 di hearing of defamation of suit against popular social media activist, Martins Vincent Oste wey pipo sabi as VeryDarkMan.

Justice Mathias Dawodu of di State high court Ikeja give di date for hearing sake of say di ‘writ of summons’ no dey bifor di court.

Writ of summons na official document wey dem address to di defendant wey go make am to appear before di court if e wish to defend imsef on di allegations against am.

Na human rights Lawyer Femi Falana and im pikin Folarin Falana alias Falz, bin carry di online influencer go court sake of one video wia e bin mention dia names.

For October, di Ikeja High court for Lagos bin order di online content creator, VeryDarkMan, make im no circulate or publish any defamatory or lie lie video or comments about Lawyer Femi Falana, wey be Senior Advocate of Nigeria, again.

Di court also give VeryDarkMan, di same order for Folarin Falana wey pipo sabi as Falz.

Di order na sake of one social media post wey di blogger do on 24 September, wey claim say Femi and Folarin Falana (wey be father and son) bin follow divert justice wit popular Nigeria cross dresser Idris Okuneye aka Bobrisky wey bin face alleged money laundering case.

Court proceedings on Thursday 14 November

Femi Falana and im pikin Folarin Falana bin no show face for court but dia representative Muiz Banire wit oda lawyers dey ground for dem.

For di sitting on Thursday, counsel to Falana and Falz, Muiz Banire wey be Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) bin tell di court say di claimants bin file originating process and don serve to di parties.

Banire also tok say one motion on notice dey served on 25 October, but Justice Dawodu tok say di originating process no dey bifor di court.

E den pray di court to adjourn di case so e go dey able to file administrative processes.

“For dis circumstance, my lord, di best tin to do na to adjourn di matter so dat we fit go back to di registry to file all di administrative processes,” Banire bin tok.

For im response, counsel to VDM, Oga Marvin Omorogbe, bin tok say e dey observed say no valid writ of summon dey bifor di court.

E diafore, pray di court to strike out di lawsuit.

Omorogbe add say e no sabi how di registry of di court go prepare any administrative process.

E say di writ wey already dey filed dey invalid as e bin no dey bifor di court.

According to am, di writ carry di same suit number as di pre-emptive remedy proceedings.

Omorogbe explain say, “Pre-emptive remedy proceedings end afta injunction dey granted or refused.

“Dey don go ahead to file writ, use di same suit number as di pre-emptive remedy proceedings.

“And di court say no, say fresh writ of summons wit one new suit number, need to dey filed.

“At dis point my lord, we go seek for one date to hear our preliminary objection”.

Omorogbe further urge di court to withdraw motion wey get 18 October as date.

Omorogbe say di motion na move to appeal on di ground say di claimants bin don admit, issues dey in respect to di pre-emptive proceedings.

However, Justice Dawodu den strike out di motion, afta no objections from di claimants counsel.

“I go give you date for hearing sake of say we dey tok about one writ wey no dey bifor di court,” Dawodu bin tok.

Di matter so far

On September 24, Verydarkblackman for one viral video for on social media play one audio recording wey involve two pipo.

E claim say na Bobrisky dey tok wit somebodi, claim wey BBC no fit confam.

For di video, di alleged cross dresser voice dey tell di oda pesin say im pay 15 million naira to unnamed EFCC officers to avoid prosecution for alleged money laundering.

Allegation wey make Nigerians para, and goment agencis like Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigerian Correctional Service, Minister of Interior and Nigeria lawmakers chook mouth for di mata to torchlight wetin happun.

Nigerian Correctional Service, (NCoS) suspend two of im senior officers for dia maximum and minimum security custodial centres.

While di kontri House of Representatives begin probe di bribery allegations against di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and di Nigerian Correctional Service.

Femi Falana and im son den demand public apology from crossdresser Idris Okuneye aka Bobrisky.

Dem also tell di influencer to withdraw all di tins wey allegedly tok about dem for one audio recording wey don spread.

Dis dey come one day afta one Ikeja High court for Lagos order online content creator, VeryDarkMan, make im no circulate or publish any defamatory or lie lie video or comments about Lawyer Femi Falana, wey be Senior Advocate of Nigeria and im son Folarin Falana wey pipo sabi as Falz.

Di order na sake of one social media post wey di blogger do wey claim say Femi and Folarin Falana (papa and pikin) bin follow divert justice wit popular Nigeria cross dresser Idris Okuneye aka Bobrisky wey bin face alleged money laundering case.

Claim wey di Falanas claim say na false and defamatory statements about dem over mata wey concern allegation of bribery and pardon.

Olorunfemi Akinyemi and Taiwo Olawanle, wey be lawyers wey dey represent di two pipo for one letter wey dem write bin tok say all di claims wey Bobrisky allegedly make dey “entirely unfounded and damaging to Falana reputation.”

“If we no receive your formal retraction and apology within 12 (twelve) hours of your receipt of dis letter, we go enta court on di instruction of our client to pursue legal remedies, including seeking monetary damages,” di lawyers bin tok dat time.

Di time now don pass and di hearing of di case go start proper for 23 January 2025 as di High Court for Ikeja bin give.