Six months after the Federal Capital Territory High Court adjourned the lawsuit between social media influencer Martins ‘VeryDarkMan’ Otse and Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin, a new hearing date has been set.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Fufeyin, founder of Delta State-based church, the Christ Mercy Land Deliverance Ministries, filed a N1 billion lawsuit against ‘VeryDarkMan’ for publicly questioning the authenticity of his faith-based products.
No substantial updates have been provided since Justice Nwosu Iheme, who initially presided over the case, adjourned it to 6 September 2024 for a hearing.
Unconfirmed reports suggested that Mr Fufeyin settled out of court with the social media influencer.
However, Mr Fufeyin’s counsel, Ihensekhien Samuel, dismissed this claim as untrue during an interview with this newspaper on Wednesday.
While explaining the delay in proceedings, Mr Ihensekhien revealed that the Chief Justice of the FCT High Court, Abuja, reassigned the case to another judge at the FCT High Court in Nyanya.
He further disclosed that Justice A.Y. Shafa, who now presides over the reassigned case, has scheduled a new hearing date.
Mr Ihensekhien said: “A date has been set for 29 January for further proceedings in the matter of Prophet Jeremiah Omotofufeyin versus Martin Otse, otherwise known as VeryDarkMan. The matter had to be transferred because it was previously heard by the vacation court, which is not the regular FCT High Court.
‘‘The vacation court only handles urgent matters or preliminary applications, such as motions and similar filings. In this case, the court handled some applications to regularise our processes and enter appearances. As such, the court could not hear the matter in full.”
Furthermore, Mr Fufeyin’s counsel confirmed that a defamation, libel, and slander lawsuit was filed against Verydarkman at the FCT High Court.
Private jet video and other matters
Verydarkman was said to have allegedly violated the status quo order issued by the court pending the case hearing—by posting a video on his Instagram page on 6 January.
In the video, Mr Fufeyin was sleeping in a private jet when a voice (a voice-over) presumed to be from God talked to him. When he woke in the same video, he said, “Lord, your servant is listening.”
Posting the video on his Instagram page, Verydarkman mocked the prophet, alleging that he (Mr Fufeyin) said he heard directly from God.
The lawyer stated that the video and the issues raised by Verydarkman had no connection to the matter currently before the court.
In defence of his client, the lawyer said, “In the video, he (Fufeyin) was just trying to illustrate how one can hear from God to his viewership, his members, and his followers. Verydarkman is a malicious character, again, and in violation of the FCT High Court order, he brought that video again to create content, draw attention, and further malign, defame, and slander Fufeyin’s personality, making numerous innuendos and inferences.
‘‘We have our claims and witnesses lined up and shall prove our case before the FCT High Court. The video he (Verydarkman) shared this year was an old video, and the basis upon which he (Fufeyin) made that video was simply a graphic and religious illustration of how to hear from God sometimes. You should also know that this pastor has been known to perform drama skits before now,” he added.
“So, basically, the fulcrum of what we have filed before the FCT High Court pertains to defamation, libel, and slander. Whatever issues Verydarkman raises have nothing to do with the present matter before the courts. I can tell you categorically that we have full instructions from Prophet Jeremiah Omotofufeyin and his team to proceed with the defamation case against Verydarkman.”
According to him, the legal team is taking notes, recording videos, and documenting further defamatory, libellous, and slanderous content that Verydarkman is publishing against Mr Fufeyin.
“The good thing about this case is that we note his atrocious acts and defamatory actions. We are documenting them, and there are other twists to this matter. Prophet Omotofufeyin is a very principled man. He will not engage with someone with nothing to lose or no reputation, character, or credibility to maintain.”
Mr Ihensekhien maintained that his client believed in the judicial process and approached the court. He would not withdraw the case until the court delivered a definitive pronouncement on all the issues surrounding his case against Verydarkman.
Forgery
Additionally, Mr Fufeyin’s counsel disclosed that Verydarkman had been charged with receipt forgery involving Mr Fufeyin’s miracle products before the FCT High Court.
Earlier, this newspaper reported that Mr Ihensekhien stated that the purported miracle products, which the social media influencer claimed to have purchased and administered to blind and other physically challenged individuals, were bought from a roadside vendor.
He further alleged that Verydarkman forged Mr Fufeyin’s receipt to validate the miracle products obtained from the roadside vendor, which the social media influencer claimed were ineffective.
READ ALSO: Missing ₦180 million NGO funds was prank – VeryDarkMan
The lawyer said: “You should also know that, in the course of this matter, there is a trigger and a grave allegation of forgery against the personality of Verydarkman. The police report is almost ready. The Nigerian Police Force, specifically the Delta State Police Command, is still waiting for Verydarkman to honour the invitation they sent to him.
“He came the last time to threaten the police, saying he would not report and would see what would happen. The wheel of justice moves slowly. Still, it will certainly reach a point where the police will address the severe issue regarding Jeremiah’s receipt and church forgery against Verydarkman. Part of the same issue has also been filed as part of the process pending before the FCT High Court.”
Verydarkman’s lawyer reacts
Meanwhile, Verydarkman’s lawyer, Ademola Oyedokun, confirmed in an interview with this newspaper on Thursday that the case will resume on 29 January.
Mr Oyedokun said, “The issue remains that in the case we are having in Abuja, the court has ordered that all status quo be maintained and that everybody should hold on about the case.
“If the court has ordered status, any party has no right to make any complaint at the police regarding an issue already pending in Abuja.”
When asked if he was aware of the Delta State Police command invitation, Mr Fufeyin’s lawyer said it was sent to Verydarkman; he said, “We’re not aware of any police invitation; all I know is that we’re maintaining the court order of status quo.”
Furthermore, Mr Oyedokun said that Verydarkman hadn’t defamed Mr Fufeyin since the status quo order was made.
“Mr Ihensekhien isn’t a judge because Verydarkman has never defamed Mr Fufeyin, and I don’t know what he (Mr Ihensekhien) is talking about”, he added.
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