IN SHORT: The claim that a high court in southwestern Nigeria has ordered Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, to pay a fine of N500 million (about US$304,000) for making a defamatory statement about the prominent Falana family is false. There is no mention of a fine in the court's ruling.
Several social media posts claim that the Ikeja high court in Lagos state, southwestern Nigeria has ordered Martins Otse to pay Femi Falana and his son Folarin a fine of N500 million over a defamatory post.
Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, is a social media influencer.
Falana is a well-known lawyer and human rights activist. His son Folarin, also known as Falzthebahdguy, is a Nigerian rapper, actor and social activist.
In September 2024, Otse revealed that Nigerian social media personality Idris Okuneye, who was to serve a jail sentence of six months for money laundering, had been staying in a private apartment.
In an Instagram video, Otse called out Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly collecting a N15 million bribe to drop the money laundering charges against Okuneye.
Otse also said: “Wait, Falzthebahdguy contacted his father to divert justice. I can’t even believe that the Femi Falana we respect so much will bring himself down to this level.”
In the same video, Otse accused Falana of applying for a presidential pardon for Okuneye.
The Falana family took the matter to court, suing Otse for defamation.
The claim that the court has ordered Otse to pay a N500 million fine has been made here, here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report.)
But is it true? We checked.
No mention of fine in court ruling
We checked credible media outlets to see if it was reported that the court had ordered Otse to pay a fine of N500 million, but found that most of the initial reports had been deleted or updated.
Channels Television reported that Falana’s counsel requested that Otse pay a fine of N500 million. But this was not mentioned in the court’s ruling.
The court ordered Otse to refrain from posting anything about the Falanas and to take down the defamatory post about the family.
Falana’s daughter Folakemi said the claim was not true.
She told Africa Check: “Fines are typically given in criminal courts and there is no criminal case against VeryDarkMan. Secondly, the court ruled on a preliminary court order asking that he stop posting and defaming the Falanas on social media. There is no criminal case against VeryDarkMan, and the court has not asked him to pay a N500 million fine.”
The claim that Otse has been fined N500 million for defaming the Falanas is false.
The same claim has been made here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
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