Social media influencer popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has filed an application before the Court of Appeal in Lagos with a view to upholding an appeal against the judgment delivered by the Lagos High Court on October 14, 2024, mandating him to remove the alleged defamatory content against human rights lawyer Femi Falana and his son, Falz. Justice Matthias Dawodu restrained him from further comments on the issue until a defamation case filed by the Falanas is disposed of.
VeryDarkMan’s posts had initially accused the Falanas of receiving N10 million from Idris Okuneye, a.k.a. Bobrisky, to compromise a case in court. In an application dated 18th October, the influencer applied for an extension of time to file an appeal on the grounds that refusal by the court will amount to a “miscarriage of justice”, while insisting that the lower court’s judgment was predicated solely on the affidavit evidence of the Falanas.
He emphasized that appellate courts play an indispensable role in ensuring that trials achieve justice, and pointed out that the blocking of his appeal may cause damage to the Justice System of Nigeria by enforcing a decision that he said may not apply the law correctly.