EFCC Arrests Social Media Influencer VeryDarkMan, Sparks Outrage from HURIWA
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested controversial social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over alleged cyberstalking and harassment.
According to an EFCC insider who spoke to Vanguard news, the arrest followed multiple complaints that VDM used his platform to intimidate and defame individuals, violating Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act (2015). However, the agency has yet to disclose the exact charges.
Human rights groups, including HURIWA, have condemned the arrest, calling it "unlawful and oppressive." HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, accused the EFCC of overstepping its mandate, stating: "The EFCC is now silencing critics instead of fighting corruption."
VDM’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, confirmed plans to secure his bail, alleging that his client was blindfolded and assaulted during arrest. The activist had earlier accused GTBank of fraudulent deductions from his mother’s account, leading to speculation that his detention was retaliatory.
The EFCC is reportedly preparing to arraign VDM soon, but legal experts argue that cyberstalking cases should be civil, not criminal. Meanwhile, Omoyele Sowore and other activists have demanded his immediate release, calling the arrest a "witch-hunt."
HURIWA warned against the misuse of the Cybercrime Act to suppress free speech and vowed legal action if VDM is not freed.
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Cybercrime Act 2015
Deji Adeyanju
EFCC arrest
GTBank fraud
HURIWA protest
Nigeria cybercrime
Omoyele Sowore
VeryDarkMan news