CITIZENS COMPASS– The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, confirmed the arrest of social media influencer, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM).
The Commission said he was arrested following a series of petitions and would be arraigned in court after meeting bail conditions.
The anti-graft agency confirmed to BBC News Pidgin through its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, on Monday.
VDM was taken into custody on Friday, May 2, 2025, after visiting a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) branch with his mother to report an issue about an unauthorized deduction from her account.
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said the arrest was not directly linked to GTBank, but rather based on multiple complaints from different people.
“We arrested him to respond to a series of allegations raised against him by some petitioners. “We will release him when he meets the bail conditions and we will take the case to court as soon as possible; we are law-abiding.”
Similarly, some youths have taken to the streets of Abuja to demand the immediate release of an activist and social media influencer, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM).
The protesting youths in their numbers chanted, “He’s not a thief, Now VDM has blocked the road, Release VDM.”
The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, converged at the junction leading to the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in the Jabi area of Abuja.
Meanwhile, popular Nigerian influencer Jojooflele has been locked down by security forces after leading a peaceful protest in Wuse, Abuja, demanding the immediate release of VeryDarkMan.
