Social media influencer, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan has challenged Folakemi Falana, daughter of human rights lawyer Femi Falana, to to proceed with her threatened defamation lawsuit.
Earlier on Friday, Folakemi Falana announced plans to sue VeryDarkMan for defamation, following an audio recording in which social media personality Bobrisky alleged that Falz and his father helped dismiss money laundering charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
In his response to the threat in a video shared on his Instagram page, the activist questioned why the Falana family “chose to attack” him instead of collaborating to fight corruption.
VeryDarkMan also asked Folakemi if she expected him to leave out Falana and Falz’s names due to personal connections, stating that he remained “unbothered” and ready to face any consequences, including legal action from the Falanas.
Speaking at times in pidgin English, he emphasised that his focus is on exposing corruption, not on targeting individuals.
“My sister, this thing you just posted now, is what would have been posted earlier so that we can all join hands and face the corruption that was revealed. It’s amazing how you people went from corruption and you people went for me that exposed the corruption. It’s just crazy. A recording that exposed a lot of atrocities that might have been going on for a long time that we just discovered.
“Imagine Bobrisky on a call saying that he paid N15 million to EFCC to drop the money laundering charge. That should be disturbing to all Nigerians, for crying out loud. Imagine Bobrisky said that, instead of taking him to prison, one godfather called that they should give him an apartment outside the prison. That is disturbing and worrisome. To think that some people that we thought were persecuted, are outside chilling. Do you people even understand the problem inside that thing that was released?
“But instead of us joining hands to fight against this corruption, against this agency that partook in this corruption, everybody is coming—you are coming for me because you said your father’s name was mentioned. Was your father’s name not in the recording? Na me chook Femi Falana’s name for the recording? Na me chook Falz name for the recording?
“The only thing I said: If their name, if this turns out to be true, I will not have any more respect for them, you understand. IF… and I even went on to say that I refuse to believe — I refuse to believe. Wetin I talk wey dey there? Next thing, Falz go drop letter say if I no retract… retract what? Na me put your name there? What did I say there?” he stated
Speaking further, he said, “Now you dey say you wan take me go court, there is no problem. There is no problem, highest—give or take, if e too bad— you lock me up for six months. If e too bad sef, you lock me up for one year.
“… tomorrow now you’ll come and say you dey fight for human rights. But, I don’t care. If eventually, if at the end of the day una throw me enter cell, there’s no problem. I swear to God I am not bothered.
“I respect Uncle Femi Falana and I still respect him. What you people would have done was to remove his name from it. But you people did not even address Bobrisky, you did not say anything about Bobrisky. Bobrisky, at the end of the day, you people actually got on a call together.”
