A legal dispute has surfaced between Martins Vincent Otse popularly known as Verydarkblackman and Femi Falana (SAN), following a recent demand to retract Instagram and Twitter posts allegedly containing allegedly defamatory statements.
It will be recalled that Folarin Falana, the son of Femi Falana (SAN), whose father’s chamber acted as his counsel threatened Otse to retract his Instagram and Twitter posts of a voice recording claiming that Folarin and his father collected N10m from Bobrisky to get a presidential pardon after been sentenced to six-month imprisonment on a crime of abusing Naira.
In the letter, Folarin threatened that if Otse refused to retract the post within 24 hours, he will be sued in court
But, Otse, through his solicitors, responded to the demand, in a letter signed by Deji Adeyanju from Deji Adeyanju & Partners, denying any wrongdoing and rejecting claims that he defamed Falana, a renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria and internationally recognized human rights advocate.
The letter is titledd, “Re: Demand for withdrawal and retraction of defamatory statement against Mr Femi Falana”..
The conflict stems from an Instagram publication by Otse, which includes a voice recording of a conversation between a Nigerian transgender and an ex-convict Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye (commonly known as Bobrisky), and a third party.
Falana’s legal team issued a letter, dated September 25, 2024, calling for the withdrawal and retraction of the post, asserting that it contained defamatory content regarding the senior lawyer.
In his defence, Otse maintains that his intention in sharing the recording was not to defame Falana, but to bring the allegations made by Okuneye to the attention of relevant authorities for a thorough investigation.
He claimed that his actions were motivated by a desire to encourage a proper inquiry into the serious allegations contained in the recording, rather than to harm Falana’s reputation.
Otse further emphasized that portions of the voice recording had already been acknowledged by Folarin Falana, through a solicitor’s letter dated the same day, September 25, 2024.
He reiterated his respect for Femi Falana and his lifelong commitment to human rights and the rule of law.
According to Otse’s legal team, the appropriate course of action in this situation would be for the relevant authorities to conduct an interagency investigation into the claims made in the recording, rather than pursuing defamation charges.
The case raises important questions about the balance between freedom of expression and defamation, and the role of social media in amplifying sensitive legal disputes.
Further developments are expected as both parties continue to navigate the legal proceedings.
