Court sets January 23 for hearing of application in Falanas’ suit against VDM

Justice Mathias Dawodu of a Lagos High Court in Ikeja has scheduled January 23, 2025, to hear preliminary objections in a defamation suit brought by human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), and his artiste son, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, against Vincent Otse (a.k.a Very Dark Man, ‘VDM’).

The Falanas filed the suit against Otse over alleged defamatory online publications. Although the court was set to hear the case yesterday, certain applications were missing from the court file.

Otse (VDM), a controversial online activist, arrived at the court shortly after 8 a.m., accompanied by supporters who cheered and praised him, with Otse dressed in traditional Edo attire.

Previously, on October 14, 2024, Justice Dawodu had ordered VDM to remove the alleged defamatory video posted on September 24 against Falana and his son. The court had also instructed the service of originating summons to VDM through his counsel, Mr. Deji Adeyanju, within 14 days.

At the resumed hearing, counsel for the claimants, Mr. Muiz Banire (SAN), informed the court that the originating process had been filed and served on October 30, 2024. Banire noted that a motion notice was served on October 25, 2024, but Justice Dawodu stated that the originating process was not before the court.

Banire requested an adjournment to ensure all administrative processes were properly filed, stating, “In this circumstance, my lord, the best thing to do is to adjourn the matter so that we can go back to the registry and ensure all administrative processes are filed.”

VDM’s counsel, Mr. Marvin Omorogbe, argued that there was no valid writ of summons before the court, adding that a writ bearing the same suit number as the preemptive remedy proceedings was improper and that a fresh writ with a new suit number should be filed. Omorogbe then requested a date to hear their preliminary objection.

Justice Dawodu subsequently struck out a motion dated October 18, 2024, following no objections from the claimants’ counsel and adjourned the case to January 23, 2025, for hearing of the preliminary objections.