“N500M Lawsuit: Mr Jollof’s Wife Takes VeryDarkMan to Court Over Explosive Allegations”

Esinjemiyotan Atsepoyi, wife of popular Nigerian comedian Mr Jollof, has filed a defamation lawsuit against social critic Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), seeking N500 million in damages. Mr Jollof announced the lawsuit via Instagram on Tuesday. Filed on September 27 at the Delta State High Court in Effurun, the suit is in response to a series of posts by VDM on Instagram between September 15 and 19, which Mrs Atsepoyi claims were defamatory.

The lawsuit, detailed in a writ of summons and statement of claim, accuses VeryDarkMan of using his Instagram platform to allege that Mrs Atsepoyi was involved in adultery with a “Yahoo boy” and several politicians. VDM claimed these actions were taken to help her husband secure the position of Senior Special Assistant (SSA) in the Delta State government.

In a separate post, VeryDarkMan also implied that Mr Jollof should conduct a DNA test to confirm the paternity of one of their children. He asserted that he had witnesses to support his claims and that he was prepared to face any legal consequences that might arise from his statements. According to the lawsuit, these defamatory posts were viewed by millions online, including Mrs Atsepoyi’s clients and potential customers. The lawsuit claims that the content tarnished her reputation, causing “pain, embarrassment, hate, contempt, and ridicule.”

Mrs Atsepoyi is seeking N500 million in damages for harm to her reputation and business. Additionally, she is asking the court to compel VeryDarkMan to issue a public apology, to be published in at least two national newspapers and on all his social media accounts. She also seeks a perpetual injunction preventing him from making further defamatory statements against her.

Mrs Atsepoyi, a successful event planner, claims her business, which generates over N100 million annually, has suffered significantly due to the defamatory statements. The lawsuit presented evidence in the form of negative comments and insults she received online from clients and the general public following the posts. Furthermore, the defamatory remarks have also impacted her family, especially her children, who faced ridicule from their peers, and allegedly strained her relationship with her in-laws and her husband.

The lawsuit states that Mrs Atsepoyi had no prior interactions with VeryDarkMan before the posts, which she describes as “false and malicious.” Despite a cease-and-desist letter sent on September 19 demanding the retraction of the posts, VeryDarkMan allegedly refused to comply, leading to the lawsuit. On Wednesday, VDM responded to the lawsuit by ridiculing Mr Jollof, calling him “mumu,” meaning “foolish.”

Public opinion is divided on the ongoing feud, with social media users sharing various views on the matter. The legal battle stems from an earlier clash between VeryDarkMan and Mr Jollof, where VDM questioned the comedian’s qualifications for an SSA position due to his promotion of betting and public drug use. VDM posted videos of Mr Jollof endorsing betting and claimed his actions were inappropriate for someone holding public office.

In response, Mr Jollof accused VDM of chasing clout and insulted him for his social media influence, adding personal attacks about his family and sexuality. VDM escalated the conflict by alleging that Mrs Atsepoyi engaged in extramarital affairs with top officials to secure her husband’s SSA role. These claims led to the ongoing public and legal dispute. VDM also alleged that Mr Jollof caught his wife at the Cocoa Butterfly Hotel in Ogborowke and took her home in tears, which further fueled controversy online.

In response, Mrs Atsepoyi’s legal team issued a cease-and-desist letter, demanding an apology and retraction within 24 hours. The letter emphasized the couple’s scandal-free marriage since 2014 and detailed the impact of the allegations on Mrs Atsepoyi’s business. The situation worsened when VDM’s home address was leaked online, forcing him to relocate for safety.