Social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of cyberstalking, Vanguard has learnt.
A source within the EFCC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the arrest on Sunday, stating:
“We picked him up based on several complaints that he used his social media platforms to harass, insult, and intimidate individuals — actions that may contravene the Cybercrimes Act of 2015.”
The source declined to disclose the identities of the complainants or further details regarding the nature of the complaints.
Deji Adeyanju, legal counsel to VeryDarkMan, also spoke with Vanguard on Sunday from abroad, confirming his intention to return to Abuja to work on his client’s release.
“I’m currently not in Nigeria, but I’ll be back in Abuja tomorrow (Monday) afternoon. By 4 p.m., we’ll be at the EFCC to secure his bail,” Adeyanju said.
He added that the Commission had yet to formally disclose the specific offences alleged against his client.
Meanwhile, human rights activist Omoyele Sowore condemned the arrest, describing it as an attempt to silence VeryDarkMan for exposing alleged corruption within the EFCC.
“It has become evident that the EFCC unlawfully arrested and detained Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VDM, in a bid to silence him after he accused the agency and its leadership of corruption and misconduct.
“The Commission does not possess the legal mandate to prosecute individuals for criminal defamation, libel, or cybercrime; these are issues typically handled through civil litigation. Therefore, the EFCC must release VDM without delay,” Sowore said.
The media gathered that the EFCC is preparing to file formal charges against VeryDarkMan, potentially as early as Monday.
Efforts to reach EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone lines remained unreachable.
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