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.

The post Defamation Case: VeryDarkMan Ordered To Pay N30 Million To Mr Jollof’s Wife appeared first on TheNigerian.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has taken Metro Digital Limited to a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt for alleged illegal interception and rebroadcast of content owned by Multichoice Nigeria Limited.

The arraignment took place on May 5, 2026 before Justice A.T Mohammed at the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State following an amended four-count charge bordering on cybercrime.

Prosecution counsel, Steve E. Odiase, told the court the matter was for arraignment while defence counsel, S.A. Somairi, SAN, raised a preliminary objection seeking to halt proceedings.

The court however dismissed the request and ordered that the plea be recorded. Justice Mohammed cited sections of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, which allows a company to plead through its representative.

The company and its Managing Director, Ifeanyi John Nwafor and staff member Ikenna Kanu, were all accused of conspiracy from 2015 to 2019 to unlawfully intercept and rebroadcast Multichoice content without authorisation.

The charge also said the firm allegedly used technical devices, including decoder systems, to retransmit content to which Multichoice holds exclusive rights in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Metro Digital Limited, through its representative pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

After the plea, the prosecution sought a trial date and the court adjourned the matter to June 29 and 30, 2026 for continuation of trial.

The anti-graft agency said that its investigation into the matter started in 2019, following a report by Multichoice on the alleged illegal rebroadcast of its content, which it said led to huge financial losses.

The statement was published on the official EFCC page on May 5, 2026.

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The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has confirmed that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has the power to look into complaints made by patients against healthcare providers.

Justice Emeka Nwite made the decision on April 15. Many people think it will help make Nigeria’s medical system more accountable.

Lifebridge Medical Diagnostic Centre Ltd filed the case, which was given the number FHC/ABJ/CS/1019/2021. They questioned whether the commission had the authority to handle complaints about healthcare services.

The plaintiff contended that the FCCPC did not possess the authority to investigate purported instances of medical negligence without first creating a concurrent jurisdiction framework with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

Justice Nwite, on the other hand, threw out the claims, saying that the plaintiff is an undertaking under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 because it is a business that offers diagnostic services for a fee.

He said that healthcare services are one of the types of services that are watched over by consumer protection.

The court also said that the FCCPC can handle complaints about customer satisfaction, even if the industry is also regulated by professional organizations.

Justice Nwite made it clear that consumer protection and professional regulation are not the same thing.

He said that regulatory bodies are still in charge of the discipline of medical professionals, but the commission is in charge of issues like service quality, fairness, standards, and patient care.

The court made it clear that Section 105 of the FCCPA does not require regulators to work together before taking action.

The judge said that the FCCPC’s legal powers are not limited or put on hold just because they don’t have a formal agreement with another regulatory body.

Not a problem with patient privacy
The court also said that legal investigative powers that are used in the public interest and in accordance with due process do not have to follow ethical rules like keeping patient information private.

Tunji Bello, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, said that the ruling was a big step forward for consumer rights.

He said that the decision strengthens the idea that consumers have the right to protection and compensation in all areas where services are provided for a fee, such as healthcare.

Bello stressed that the decision shows that protecting consumers and regulating professionals can work together for the good of the public.
He said that the commission’s job is not to replace professional organizations but to make sure that services are fair and of high quality.

He said, “The judgment confirms that no commercial service sector is beyond lawful consumer protection accountability.”

He also said that the FCCPC is still dedicated to working with healthcare providers, regulators, and other interested parties to promote accountability, improve service delivery, and boost consumer trust in the sector.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a ₦1.3 billion corruption allegation against former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, and the Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a new arraignment for April 1.

Lamido and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha Lamido, who are charged with taking part in the alleged fraud through bogus contract awards, are scheduled to be arraigned.

Following the defendants’ absence from court, Justice Peter Odo Lifu set the date for Friday.

The Lamidos’ attorney, Joe Agi (SAN), apologized to the court for their absence even though the new arraignment was set for Friday.

The senior attorney clarified that late on Thursday night, the defendants were informed about the trial.

He claims that the former governor and his sons live in Kano and couldn’t get to Abuja in time.

After that, Agi promised the court that he will present the defendants on the following postponed date.

Chile Okoroma (SAN), the EFCC’s attorney, told the court that he was shocked the defendants did not show up even after receiving a notice of hearing.

Okoroma further said that the anti-graft agency had written to Justice John Tsoho, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, asking that Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, the original trial judge who had been relocated to Calabar, be brought back to Abuja to complete the case.

In response, Justice Lifu stated that the Chief Judge would decide on the administrative matter pertaining to the previous trial judge.

After then, he postponed the case until April 1 so that the defendants might enter a plea.

In 2015, the Federal High Court in Abuja heard a 27-count accusation of money laundering involving around ₦1.3 billion from the EFCC against Lamido, his two sons, and their businesses.

The offenses were allegedly committed between 2007 and 2015 while Lamido was the governor of Jigawa State, according to the anti-graft agency.

The commission claims that Lamido misused his position by laundering money purportedly obtained as kickbacks from state government contracts.

Bamaina Holdings Ltd. and Speeds International Ltd. are the other defendants in the case, aside from the Lamidos.

Before concluding its case, the EFCC called over sixteen witnesses during the trial.

The defendants, however, submitted a no-case submission, claiming that there was insufficient evidence from the prosecution to support their opening defense.

In November 2022, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu ordered the accused to present their defense after dismissing the application.

After Lamido and the other defendants appealed the decision, the Court of Appeal confirmed their no-case submission in July 2023, finding that the Federal High Court in Abuja had territorial jurisdiction to hear the case.

According to the appellate court, the trial should have taken place in Jigawa State, where the alleged offenses took place.

In August 2023, the EFCC petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse the decision because they were unhappy with it.

The Court of Appeal’s ruling that released Lamido and his kids was overturned by the Supreme Court in a ruling issued on January 16, 2026.

In a unanimous ruling led by Justice Abubakar Umar, the five-member Supreme Court panel concluded that the defendants had a case to answer.

As a result, the court mandated that the case be sent back to the Federal High Court so that the trial may continue.

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