Social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged cyberstalking, NEWS REVIEW has learnt.
A source within the Commission, 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 did not disclose the identities of the complainants or further details of the allegations.
VDM, known for his bold and controversial commentaries, has faced multiple legal battles in recent years. In May 2024, he was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja on five counts of cyberstalking, stemming from alleged online harassment of the Nigeria Police Force and Nollywood actresses Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dikeh. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded pending a bail hearing.
In November 2024, he was charged with impersonation before an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court, accused of unlawfully dressing and presenting himself as a police officer. He again pleaded not guilty and was granted bail set at ₦2 million.
Earlier, in September 2024, crossdresser Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky, filed a ₦1 billion defamation lawsuit against VDM over a circulated voice note accusing Bobrisky of bribing EFCC officials—an allegation Bobrisky denied, claiming the audio was AI-generated.
In April 2025, a court ordered VDM’s arrest over defamatory comments made against gospel singer Mercy Chinwo. He was also instructed to delete the said content and publicly apologise.
VDM’s latest run-in with the EFCC followed a public outcry he made at a GTBank branch in Abuja over unauthorised deductions from his mother’s account.
According to Vanguard, his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, confirmed he would return to Abuja from overseas by Monday to secure 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,” he said, adding that the EFCC has not yet disclosed the specific charges.
Meanwhile, human rights activist Omoyele Sowore condemned the arrest, calling it an attempt to silence the influencer 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,” Sowore said.
“The Commission does not possess the legal mandate to prosecute individuals for criminal defamation, libel, or cybercrime; these are typically civil matters. Therefore, the EFCC must release VDM without delay.”
NEWS REVIEW also learnt that the EFCC may file formal charges against VDM as early as Monday. Multiple attempts to reach EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale were unsuccessful, as his lines remained unreachable.
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