Gospel singer Mercy Chinwo has filed a defamation lawsuit against social media commentator Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM). She is seeking N1.1 billion in damages over allegations he made against her in February.
VDM had accused Chinwo of diverting funds from performances without paying her former record label, owned by Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu (EeZee Tee). He also claimed she violated her contract before leaving the label.
In a lawsuit dated March 3, Chinwo’s lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, described VDM’s statements as “libellous, malicious, and damaging” to her reputation. Olajengbesi argued that VDM was not personally involved in the dispute between Chinwo and EeZee Tee but still misrepresented the situation in a way that tarnished her image.
The suit demands that VDM:
Remove the defamatory posts from all his social media platforms
Publish an unreserved apology on all his social media pages and in two widely circulated national newspapers
Pay N1 billion as general damages, N100 million as punitive and aggravated damages, and N25 million as the cost of the suit
Publish the apology in four national newspapers for at least 14 consecutive days
This lawsuit follows Chinwo’s recent allegations that EeZee Tee exploited her, spread false rumors about her child’s paternity, and threatened her life, forcing her to relocate from Lagos to Port Harcourt.
