Ahead of a court hearing for a defamation lawsuit filed against him, well-known social media critic VeryDarkMan, also known as VDM, has denied defaming human rights lawyer Femi Falana and his son, singer Falz.
According to NAIJALOG, in September, VDM shared a leaked audio clip in which crossdresser Bobrisky allegedly implicated Falz and his father. In the audio, Bobrisky claimed that Falz and his father had contacted him during his time in the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, offering a “presidential pardon” for a sum of N10 million.
Falana and Falz denied these allegations and demanded that VeryDarkMan issue a retraction and an apology within 24 hours, labeling the statements as “defamatory.”
After VDM refused to retract his statement or apologize, the Lagos State High Court ordered him to delete the disputed post ahead of the hearing at the Ikeja High Court in Lagos on Thursday, November 14, 2024.
In a recent video on his Instagram page, VDM stated that he would not apologize, insisting that his post aimed to expose corruption in Nigeria and encouraging the Falanas to clear their names.
He said: “I just arrived in Lagos for the Femi Falana case against me at the Ikeja High Court by 9:00 AM. I came to Lagos ahead of that. As you all know, they (Falana and Falz) said I defamed them, but for me, it’s corruption that I exposed. I see things that don’t make sense, like someone going to prison and not serving jail term or the EFCC, which is expected to catch people involved in corruption, collecting money.
“That’s what I exposed. But sadly, some people, Falana and Falz, whose names were mentioned, said I should have informed them before posting such things about them. They asked me to apologize. I don’t see anything wrong with what I did, so I’m not apologizing to anybody. They should clear their name.
“I have tried to respect them, but it didn’t work because I went to prostrate for Falana, yet they insisted that I must go and apologize. Now it is time for the court hearing, and heaven won’t fall. Tomorrow, if I hear their names again, I will post it. I don’t fear anybody’s father. I don’t want a country where, when it is someone’s time, we should keep quiet.”