The long-running online feud between social media critic Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan or VDM, and comedian Freedom Atsepoyi, also known as Mr Jollof has now ended in a major court judgment.
On May 8, 2026, a Delta State High Court sitting in Effurun ordered VDM to pay ₦30.5 million in damages and legal costs to Mrs. Esinjemiyotan Atsepoyi, the wife of Mr Jollof, over defamatory claims he made against her online.
The incident which started as an argument over a fintech app and consumer complaints later turned into a personal battle filled with insults, threats, viral videos and even a physical fight at an airport. But the matter took a more serious turn after VDM made allegations against Mr Jollof’s wife, accusing her of having affairs with politicians and fraudsters to secure her husband’s political appointment.
The case eventually moved from social media to the courtroom, where the judge ruled that VDM failed to provide any evidence to support his claims.
How the VDM and Mr Jollof feud started
The feud between Martins Vincent Otse and Freedom Atsepoyi started in July 2024 during the controversy surrounding BillPoint, a fintech and utility payment app linked to businessman Linus Williams, popularly known as BLord.
At the time, BLord was heavily promoting the app through popular Nigerian influencers, and Mr Jollof became one of the public faces of the campaign after accepting an endorsement deal to advertise BillPoint on his social media platforms.
Around the same period, many users began complaining online that their money was trapped in the app and transactions were either delayed or unsuccessful. Known for speaking on consumer-related issues, VDM released a viral video criticising Mr Jollof’s promotion of the platform. He claimed his direct messages were filled with complaints from users accusing BillPoint of withholding funds. VDM also publicly called out the company, demanded refunds for affected users and later petitioned the Federal Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja, an action that reportedly contributed to BLord’s brief arrest.
Mr Jollof strongly defended both the app and his endorsement deal. He argued that temporary transaction problems did not automatically mean the platform was fraudulent. He also dismissed VDM’s criticism, describing him as an uneducated “clout-chaser” looking for attention online.
As the disagreement continued, Mr Jollof claimed the issues with BillPoint were caused by staff shortages, but VDM rejected the explanation and accused him of protecting the company instead of supporting affected customers.
The online exchanges soon became personal. During the heated back-and-forth, Mr Jollof publicly threatened to slap VDM if they ever met physically. VDM mocked the threat and repeatedly challenged him to carry it out whenever they crossed paths.
The feud escalated further in September 2024 when VDM shifted his focus from Mr Jollof to his wife, Mrs. Esinjemiyotan Atsepoyi.
Between September 15 and September 19, 2024, VDM posted a series of videos alleging that Mr Jollof’s appointment as a Senior Special Assistant to Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori was secured through immoral means. He accused Mrs. Atsepoyi of allegedly having affairs with politicians and internet fraudsters at Coco Butterfly Hotel to help her husband secure the political appointment.
The allegations sparked outrage online and eventually led to legal action. Mrs. Atsepoyi filed a ₦500 million defamation lawsuit against VDM, demanding that he provide proof for the claims made against her.
While the court case was ongoing, tensions between both men resurfaced in November 2025 during an incident aboard a United Nigeria Airlines flight travelling from Asaba to Lagos.
According to reports, VDM confronted Mr Jollof over the earlier slap threat, but the exchange quickly turned physical. Passengers and airline officials reportedly stepped in to separate them before both men were removed from the aircraft and handed over to airport security.
The airport incident brought even more public attention to a feud that had already dragged on for more than a year.
Mr Jollof and His Wife’s Response
Mr Jollof and his wife reacted strongly after the allegations against her surfaced online.
Mr Jollof accused VDM of crossing the line by dragging his family into their personal dispute. He repeatedly criticised the activist online and insisted that his wife had nothing to do with their disagreement over the BillPoint issue.
His wife, Mrs. Esinjemiyotan Atsepoyi, decided to handle the matter legally instead of continuing the social media back-and-forth.
Through her lawyers, she filed a ₦500 million defamation suit at the Delta State High Court. Her legal team argued that the accusations damaged her reputation, exposed her to public ridicule and caused emotional distress.
They also demanded that VDM retract the statements and apologise publicly.
Inside the Court Ruling
The judgment was delivered by Justice R. Harriman of the Delta State High Court, Effurun Judicial Division. According to the court, the videos published by VDM in September 2024 were defamatory and went beyond criticism or public commentary. The judge ruled that the allegations against Mrs. Atsepoyi were serious accusations capable of damaging her reputation and image.
A major turning point in the case came during cross-examination when VDM reportedly admitted that he had no concrete evidence to support the adultery allegations. The court heard that he relied mainly on information from an anonymous social media source.
VDM also reportedly argued that some of the videos presented in court were AI-generated, but the judge rejected the defence after he failed to provide any technical proof to support the claim.
Following the ruling, the court awarded ₦20 million as general damages for the reputational harm and emotional distress caused to Mrs. Atsepoyi.
An additional ₦10 million was awarded as aggravated damages, while ₦500,000 was granted as litigation costs, bringing the total judgment to ₦30.5 million.
The court also ordered VDM to delete the defamatory videos from all his platforms and publish a formal apology in two national newspapers within 14 days.
In addition, the judge issued a perpetual injunction restraining him and his associates from making further defamatory statements against Mr Jollof’s wife.
Conclusion
The judgment has become one of the most talked-about social media court cases in Nigeria this year.
What began as a disagreement over consumer complaints eventually turned into a legal battle over reputation, false allegations and the limits of online activism.
For many netizens, the ruling also sends a wider message about the dangers of making serious accusations online without evidence. While social media has given many Nigerians a platform to speak out, the court’s decision shows that such statements can still carry legal consequences when they damage another person’s reputation without proof.
