An Ikeja High Court on Monday granted leave to serve a notice of preliminary objection electronically on social media influencer Martins Otse (a.k.a VeryDarkMan, VDM) and Kelvin Emmanuel, following their absence in court.
The directive arose from a suit filed by Nigerian pastor Dr. Chris Okafor against Nollywood actress Doris Ogala, with VDM and Emmanuel joined as the second and third defendants, respectively. The case is marked ID/14399GCMW/2026.
Justice Akintunde Savage ruled:
“Leave is hereby granted to the first defendant to serve the second and the third defendants via WhatsApp, Instagram, and other active social media accounts. The sheriff must confirm proof of service. The case is adjourned until February 25 for proof of service and hearing of preliminary objections.”
When the case was called, the claimant’s counsel, Mr. Ife Ajayi, and the first defendant’s counsel, Mr. Nathan Atulonah, appeared, while the second and third defendants were unrepresented.
Ajayi told the court that the claimant had published the originating process in the Vanguard newspaper, since the defendants’ physical addresses were unknown. He cautioned that serving them through social media might allow for denial of receipt.
The first defence counsel had, in a notice of preliminary objection dated January 29, requested that the second and third defendants be served directly via verified Instagram and WhatsApp accounts. There was no objection from the claimant’s counsel.
On January 22, the court issued an interim restraining order against the defendants, preventing them from mentioning Okafor, his church, Grace Nation International (also known as Liberation City), or publishing any private materials, including texts, images, or videos, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The order also forbade the defendants from releasing any material alleged to be used to blackmail or extort money from the claimant.