Gospel singer Mercy Chinwo has initiated a defamation lawsuit against blogger Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The lawsuit arises from alleged defamatory statements made by VDM on social media, accusing Chinwo of being involved in a contractual dispute and the misappropriation of $345,000 linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu (Eezee Tee).
Filed by Chinwo’s legal representative, Pelumi Olajengbesi, the lawsuit seeks an order requiring VDM to delete, retract, and issue a public apology for all false and defamatory statements made against Chinwo and her brand.
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To support her claims, Chinwo presented documentary evidence in court, including emails and payment receipts, to prove that VDM’s allegations were entirely false.
In a separate case, on February 17, 2025, a Federal High Court in Lagos confirmed that the arrest warrant against Eezee Tee over alleged fraudulent conversion remains in place and adjourned the case until March 6, 2025, for the arraignment of the record label boss.
In the defamation lawsuit, Olajengbesi stated that VDM made the posts without provocation and with the apparent intention of damaging Chinwo’s reputation among right-thinking members of society. He told the court that VDM’s videos and posts were false and had significantly harmed Chinwo’s public image, professional standing, and emotional well-being.
The lawyer highlighted that VDM posted multiple videos on his Instagram account between February 2 and 17, 2025, accusing Chinwo of going behind her record label to secure shows and failing to remit money to the label.
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Olajengbesi further claimed that VDM’s videos depicted a “caricaturist and disdainful portrayal” of Chinwo, alongside a clear bias towards Eezee Tee’s side in the dispute, ridiculing Chinwo’s position.
“The Claimant avers that she has never had any form of relationship with the Defendant and was not involved with him in any way regarding the issue between her and Mr. Eezee Tee,” the suit reads. “The Defendant’s statements were not only false but also damaging and injurious to the Claimant’s public image and reputation.”
The lawsuit calls for the following orders:
– An order directing VDM to remove the defamatory posts from all his social media platforms.
– An order requiring VDM to retract the defamatory statements and issue an unreserved apology to Chinwo on all his social media platforms and in two widely circulated national newspapers.
– An order directing VDM to publish a public apology in four national newspapers for 14 consecutive days.
– An order compelling VDM to pay Chinwo N1,000,000,000 (One Billion Naira) in general damages for defamation.
– An order requiring VDM to pay N100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira) in punitive and aggravated damages.
– An order directing VDM to pay N25,000,000 (Twenty-Five Million Naira) as the cost of the suit.
– An order compelling VDM to pay 10% interest on the judgment sum per annum until full payment is made.
