A Federal High Court in Effurun, Delta State has ordered social media personality, Martins Vincent Otse, otherwise known as VeryDarkMan, to pay N30million in damages to Mrs Esinjemiyotan Uruneyonjuyei Atsepoyi, wife of comedian Mr Jollof, over defamatory statements made against her online.
The court also ordered VeryDarkMan to make a public apology in two national newspapers and on all his social media platforms within 14 days.
The beef kicked off in September 2024 after an online fight between VeryDarkMan and Mr Jollof. Reports say.
During the exchange, VeryDarkMan allegedly accused Mr Jollof’s wife, Mrs Esinjemiyotan Uruneyonjuyei Atsepoyi, of committing adultery with politicians and internet fraudsters (Yahoo boys) in a bid to secure a political appointment for her husband in Delta State.
Reacting at the time, Mr Jollof fired back at the social media critic, calling him a product of broken home and accusing him of not being properly brought up.
Following the allegations, Mrs Atsepoyi filed a ₦500 million defamation suit against VeryDarkMan.
In a judgment dated 13 May 2026 Justice R. Harriman held that the statements made by the defendant were defamatory and actionable.
According to the certified court document obtained, the judge ruled that VeryDarkMan did not provide any evidence to support the allegations against the claimant.
“I have therefore no hesitation in holding that the words complained of are defamatory in their natural and ordinary meaning and are actionable per se,” Justice Harriman said.
The judge also found that the claimant was entitled to both general and aggravated damages because of the extent of the publication and the effect on her reputation.
“I consider the Claimant entitled to general and aggravated damages and to an injunction. DIAMOND BANK v. OKPALA (2016) LPELR-41573(CA) OBOK & ORS v. AGBOR & ORS (2016) LPELR-41219(CA) “The defamatory material was widely disseminated and a retraction and apology are appropriate to restore the Claimant’s reputation,” the judge ruled.
Court Orders Apology, Halts Further Publication
Justice Harriman thereafter gave judgment for the claimant and awarded the sum of N20m as general damages and N10m as aggravated damages.
“The Claimant shall have Judgment against the defendant in the sum of: It is ordered that: “The court declared that the words published by the Defendant about the Claimant are defamatory.
“₦20,000,000.00 (Twenty Million Naira) as general damages; ₦10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) as aggravated damages.”
The court also ordered the defendant to publish a public apology and retract the defamatory publications on 15, 16 September and in the early hours of 19 September 2024.
“The Defendant is hereby ordered to publish an apology to the Claimant in two national dailies and all his social media handles with a retraction of the defamatory words contained in the Defendant’s online publication… within 14 days of this judgment,” the judge added.
The court also ordered VeryDarkMan to refrain from making any further defamatory statements about the claimant or instructing his agents or associates to do so.
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