Gospel singer Mercy Chinwo has taken legal action against social media critic VeryDarkMan (VDM), suing him for N1.1 billion over alleged defamation.
The lawsuit, dated March 3, was filed in response to a series of Instagram posts by VDM, in which he accused Chinwo of withholding earnings from her performances instead of remitting them to her former record label, owned by Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, popularly known as EeZee Tee.
VDM further alleged that Chinwo violated contractual agreements before parting ways with the label.
However, her lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, dismissed the claims, stating that VDM was never personally involved in the dispute but still made “libelous, malicious, and damaging” statements that tarnished the singer’s reputation.
“The claimant avers that she has neither had any form of relationship with the defendant nor was the defendant involved in the issue between the claimant and EeZee Tee in any material particular,” the legal document states.
Mercy Chinwo is seeking N1 billion in general damages, N100 million in punitive and aggravated damages, and N25 million to cover legal expenses.
She is also demanding that VDM delete the alleged defamatory posts, issue a public apology, and publish retractions in four national newspapers for 14 consecutive days.
The dispute between Chinwo and EeZee Concept arose from financial disagreements following her departure from the label.
She accused EeZee Tee of mismanaging approximately $345,000 from her digital platforms and events without proper disclosure or remittance.
While EeZee Tee denied the allegations, he later called for an audit to address concerns of financial misconduct.
On February 17, a federal high court in Lagos upheld an arrest warrant against him, with the case adjourned until March 6.
