Ikeja High Court Strikes Out Defamation Case Filed by Falanas Against VDM

 

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An Ikeja High Court recently struck out a defamation lawsuit filed by human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and his son, musician Folarin Falana, also known as Falz, against social media influencer VeryDarkMan (VDM). 

The case stemmed from a video VDM shared on his social media platforms in which he amplified allegations made by cross-dresser Bobrisky. In the controversial recording, Bobrisky accused the Falanas of manipulating the judicial system, a claim that prompted the Falana duo to file a defamation suit demanding N500 million each in damages.

At the hearing, neither the claimants nor VDM was present. However, VDM’s lawyer, Niyi Alagbe, informed the court that an application for a stay of proceedings had been filed before Justice Fimisola Azeez, a different judge. Falana’s lawyer, Omotayo Olatunbosun, acknowledged receiving the application but argued that the matter scheduled for hearing was a preliminary objection, contending that the defense was attempting to delay proceedings.

Justice Matthias Dawodu, who was presiding over the case, observed that the application for a stay of proceedings was not in the court's file. He further questioned the appropriateness of proceeding with the case when the main suit was pending before another judge. 

After considering these factors, Justice Dawodu ruled that continuing with the case would be pointless and amounted to an academic exercise. As a result, the court struck out the defamation suit.

This development follows previous events where VDM had responded to the accusations by sharing his bank statement and clearing up the controversy surrounding a separate financial matter.

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