VeryDarkMan Fined ₦200,000 for Defaming Falz and Femi Falana

Controversial social media figure, VeryDarkMan (VDM), has been ordered by the FCT High Court to pay ₦200,000 in damages after losing a defamation suit filed by human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, the renowned rapper Folarin Falana, popularly referred to as Falz The Bahd Guy.

The case arose from an online video in which VeryDarkMan made serious allegations, insinuating that Falana and his son were in some way involved with #EndSARS panel mismanagement, which was a euphemism for corruption and deceit. The Falanas promptly denied the accusations and went public with a counterstatement, alleging that their names were being maliciously dragged in the mud without any evidence. 

In his judgment, Justice E. Okpe held the statement of VeryDarkMan to be defamatory and ordered the payment of ₦200,000 as damages to the plaintiffs. While it may appear somewhat nominal given the high-profile nature of the case, damage rulings of this fashion serve to reinforce the ethos of accountability on social media and the need to verify facts before publicly airing damaging claims. 

VeryDarkMan has not, as at the time of writing, offered any apologies or made any statement relevant to the outcome of the suit, and social media have been buzzing with divided opinions.