VDM vs The Falanas: Wisdom Is Profitable To Direct
By Omeiza Ajayi
I have read a lot about the ongoing defamation saga between social media personality, Otse Martins Vincent, aka VeryDarkMan and top lawyer, Femi Falana SAN and his son, Folarin aka Falz.
As expected, most fans of VDM have risen in his defence, arguing that he never defamed the Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN and his son.
VDM’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju has also replied the SAN, saying VDM didn’t defame him but was only asking questions and wanted relevant agencies to investigate the matter. I differ.
VDM raised three fundamental issues in his video, viz: the alleged EFCC/N15m bargain, the Prisons matter and the pardon issue. Many who are angry at the state of things in the country, were, like me very angry at the first two issues, but some proceeded to lump the three issues together and allocated the same level of angst to them.
I don’t usually dabble into issues such as this publicly, except that VDM has been doing a great job defending the people – even though I may not fancy his style – and now, his ardent followers, are, willy nilly, trying to push him further into committing a terrible existential error – a sort of political harakiri.
The best thing is to get him to apologize to the senior lawyer and his son. Why? His video was defamatory. The second video he made to apologize to Falana, VDM didn’t actually apologize. He merely restated what he said, using semantics.
Now, here is why I think, as a journalist, not a lawyer, that VDMs statements were defamatory. Let’s look at some of the things he said, most of which were DECLARATIVE STATEMENTS and NOT QUESTIONS. He was subjective.
VDM: “…Femi Falana spoke to Bobrisky IN ORDER TO DIVERT JUSTICE. And this same Falz, *if this story is true*, will have the audacity to come out and say he is fighting against the government…..”
Me: The words in cap are defamatory. However, VDM tried to play smart by going forward to attach a conditionally, saying, “if this story is true…”
But let’s go further.
Read Also:
VDM: “Wait, wait wait, what is the relationship between Falz and Bobrisky, ABI Falz SEF DEY DO? Oooo, OKAAYYYY. WHO ARE WE TO CRUCIFY THE HOMOSEXUAL? MOST OF UNA DON DEY INVOLVED FROM TIME. EVERYBODY IS A MOTHERFUCKING HYPOCRITE O. OH, NOW, THAT SONG DEY MAKE SENSE TO ME. ABI FALZ SEF DEY DO? THIS IS CRAZY”.
Me: If the above is not defamatory, then I don’t know what defamation is. Let’s go on.
VDM: “Alright, so based on this first voice note….. Bobrisky is saying that Femi Falana COLLECTED N10m in order to wipe his name off the records”.
Me:From the audio leak that VDM gave out, Bobrisky never claimed that the senior lawyer “COLLECTED”….. Bobrisky said the man “DEMANDED”….
Let’s proceed..
VDM: “Wow, these are people I RESPECTED. These are people I LOOK(ED) UP to. Falz the Bahd Guy always talking about ‘yeah, I am speaking up for the people’. So, you’re also involved in things like this? IT IS REALLY, REALLY DISAPPOINTING. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT NIGERIA MIGHT NOT GO ANYWHERE SOON. IT IS OBVIOUS SAY NIGERIA NO FIT….I HAVE LOST 100 PERCENT RESPECT FOR THESE. Unless if they come out come defend to say na lie. BUT FOR NOW, WE TAKE WHAT BOBRISKY IS SAYING AS THE TRUTH…
Me: Hmmmmm, those are defamatory words.
That said, as a layman, I believe that one can be held vicariously liable for comments made on one’s social media post, especially if one made some innuendos that led to such defamatory remarks from their followers. That is why there is the delete option.
Most of the comments on VDM’s video about Bobrisky et al, were defamatory and he didn’t do well to caution his followers against such comments. In broadcasting, you often see presenters cautioning their guests against making defamatory remarks, asking them to retract such statements or take full ownership of them.
VDM has denied defaming Falana. He has even made a fresh video to that effect but he only needs to understand what defamation is and then go back and watch his first video.
I will expect VDM to apologize and settle this issue amicably. He still has a lot to offer to the people.
Wisdom is profitable to direct! Ecclesiastes 10:10.
PS: In any case, lawyers lobby to get pardon for people and they get paid for that. It is a professional service and there is nothing wrong in that. If you have developed a substantial amount of goodwill, social capital and great network of contacts, you might just decide to take a crash course on Lobbying. It is a professional service and nothing criminal about it. It is why we have Parliamentary lobbyists, who lobby parliaments around the world on issues such as Abortion, Tobacco Control, LGBTQ, Middle East war and so on.
