Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as Verydarkman, has firmly denied accusations of defaming renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN). In a video shared on his Instagram page, Verydarkman expressed his deep respect for Falana, whom he referred to as his “Uncle,” dismissing claims of any malicious intent.
This development comes after Nigerian rapper, Falz, issued a legal threat against Verydarkman. The accusation was based on a voice recording linked to a bribery scandal involving crossdresser Bobrisky and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Verydarkman had been accused of suggesting that both Falz and his father, Femi Falana, were connected to the scandal.
In response, Verydarkman’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, issued a formal statement clarifying his client’s position. The statement emphasized that Verydarkman had not defamed Femi Falana but simply raised concerns about the allegations made by Bobrisky in the leaked audio. The lawyer stressed that Verydarkman’s intentions were to bring attention to the serious nature of the claims and to encourage a thorough investigation.
The statement from Adeyanju read: “We’re solicitors to Mr Martins Vicent Otse, now referred to as our client, on whose instruction we act. Our client received your letter dated September 25, 2024, on the above subject matter wherein you demanded the retraction of his Instagram publication containing a voice recording between Mr Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju (Bobrisky) and a third party.
“Our client denies defaming Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, a renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria and globally recognised human rights activist, but asserts that he only published the said communication to get the relevant agencies and even your client to initiate a thorough investigation into the far-reaching allegations made by Mr Okuneye in the said voice recording, especially as some element of the voice recording has been confirmed by Mr Folarin Falana in his solicitor’s letter dated 25 September 2024.”
“Our client holds Mr Femi Falana, SAN, in high esteem and recognises his commitment to protecting human rights and the rule of law in Nigeria. In light of the preceding, our client believes that the appropriate line of action in the circumstances is an interagency investigation into the allegations contained in the voice recording rather than pursuing a case of defamation”, Mr Adeyanju said.
