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BBC News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
EFCC tok why dem arrest Verydarkblackman [VDM]
Nigeria financial crimes police EFCC don confam say na dem hold popular rights activist Martins Vincent Otse alias Verydarkblackman (VDM). Di EFCC confam di arrest of VDM to BBC News Pidgin. Tok tok pesin of di commission Dele Oyewale on Monday say dem arrest di activist based on petitions by some complainants wey get grievances against VDM. "We arrest am to respond to series of allegations raised against am by some petitioners" na so Oyewale tok. Wen we ask am weda di petition dey related to GT Bank, e say di petition na from different pipo and dem owe di petitioners duty to protect dem. He add say "we go release am wen e meet di bail conditions and we go carry di case go court as soon as possible, we dey law abiding". E confam say na for Abuja dem arrest di activist. How di tori comot Tori bin comot for social media on Friday say VDM bin dey miss, odas tok say EFCC arrest am inside GT Bank. Im supporters begin online protests, some announce say dem go move against di bank. As at press time, GTBank never issue any statement to dat effect. For online video wey BBC see for di activist Facebook page, some mentees and supporters of VDM go EFCC office to give di activist food over di weekend, but dem come back say di security officers say nobody dey allowed to go see am or to give am food, say di officers go give am food by dia sef. Some young pipo tok say dem go do physical protest for Abuja on Monday. Many Nigerians don enter social media to call for di release of di activist. Presidential candidate of di Labour Party for Nigeria last elections Peter Obi and popular singer David Adeleke alias Davido follow chook mouth for VDM matter While Davido dey call for im release, Obi dey condemn di manner dem take arrest di activist say dem arrest am like wia dem dey kidnap pesin. Activist Omoyele Sowore allege say EFCC arrest VDM to silence am as im be one of di outspoken pipo for di kontri wey dey challenge corruption. Wetin VDM lawyer tok Meanwhile lawyer to VDM Mr Deji Adeyanju say na EFCC arrest di activist but dem no happy how di arrest happun. For statement from di lawyer law firm, dem claim say na for bank premises EFCC officials arrest VDM afta di activist and im mama go do complaint inside di bank. According to dem di officers lock up VDM for dia Abuja office and wen dem go to see him, di officers say e refuse to see anybody. Dem also claim say EFCC officials show dem di arrest warrant wey one chief Magistrate Njideka Iloanya Duru sign for di arrest of Martins Otse ontop allegation of cyberstalking. Di firm say dem go follow up di matter to activate im release, say dem no happy say EFCC no gree tell dem his exact offense. Who be VDM? Activist Verydarkblackman na sef acclaimed philanthropist, wey dey controversial for di Nigeria social media space. Im dey known for confronting goment officials, corruption and pipo wey dey go against di law. Sake of im activism, im don chop arrest plenti times and get pending court cases for many Nigeria courts. Actor Rita Edochie enter social media write say VDM dey always stand for di truth.
BBC News
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Court issue arrest warrant against Very Dark Man over defamation case wit Mercy Chinwo
One Chief Magistrate Court for Abuja don issue a warrant of arrest against Martins Vincent Ose, one celebrity social media influencer for Nigeria wey pipo sabi as Very Dark Man (VDM), as e fail to appear bifor di court on Thursday on top accuse of criminal defamation wey popular gospel musician Mercy Chinwo sama am. Di matter dey bifor Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna of di FCT Chief Magistrate Court, who on March 6, 2025, bin summon VDM to appear bifor am to defend imsef. As di matter come up for hearing, Deji Adeyanju, lawyer to VDM tell di court say im client no dey available as e currently dey outside Nigeria. Bifor di sitting start, Adeyanju bin don tell our tori pesin say VDM currently dey China so e no go attend di court sitting. E accuse Mercy Chinwo lawyer - Pelumi Olajengbesi - of foul play bicos "e dey aware say VDM no dey di kontri, but e just dey play pranks". During di court proceedings, Adeyanju also tell di court say di oda party no serve im client properly wit di court papers, and by March 3 wey be di date on di court summons, VDM don already dey for China. E show di court a copy of flight booking wey e tok say belong to VDM, to show say e no even dey di kontri as at dat date. But dis explanation no go down well wit di Chief Magistrate wey point out say di name Martins Vincent Ose no dey di booking slip wey Adeyanju show di court, so di paper no be enof proof say im client bin don travel. Di magistrate tok say im go issue bench warrant against VDM so dat security pipo go arrest am and provide am for court on di next adjourned date. Adeyanju beg di court and promise say im go personally provide VDM for court next time, but Magistrate Iyanna no gree. E go ahead to issue di warrant of arrest against VDM bifor e adjourn di matter to April 17 2025 for continuation. Wetin be di issue betwin VDM and Mercy Chinwo? For her initial complaint, Mercy Chinwo bin tell di court say VDM bin accuse her ontop im social media platforms say she bin divert di sum of $345,000 wey dey linked to her former manager Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, who she bin dey get gbas-gbos wit. She however present plenty documents for court wey she claim say na evidence to show say all wetin VDM bin tok, na total lies, and dis lies don damage her reputation and injure her public image. Di offence dey against section 391 of di Penal Code and section 24 (1)(B) of di Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015, according to Pelumi Olajengbesi, Mercy Chinwo lawyer. Dis na one out of two law suits wey Chinwo sama on top VDM head. Di oda one na for di Federal Capital Territory High Court wia Chinwo and im lawyers dey demand N1 billion in damages from VDM for criminal defamation. For dat suit, Chinwo also wan di court to order very dark man to publish an apology to am on top Nigeria newspapers and di apology go run for 14 days.
