The legal team representing popular social media activist Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has raised concerns over his continued detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), despite not being told what crime he is accused of.
VDM was arrested on May 1, 2025. Although the EFCC says he has been granted administrative bail, he remains in custody as of the time of this report.
Speaking to journalists, Zainab Otega, one of his lawyers, said VDM was interrogated for several hours on Monday. She explained that the questions he was asked mostly had nothing to do with corruption or financial crime.
“They questioned him about spraying money at a nightclub, his social media earnings, tax records, and even some things he said about a gospel singer,” Otega said. “This is not a real investigation; they are just fishing for something to use against him.”
She added that not telling VDM the specific reason for his arrest is a violation of his rights under the Nigerian Constitution.
The legal team has called on the EFCC to either release VDM or charge him in court if they have any real case against him. Otega also said the commission has now kept him longer than the 24-hour legal limit without charging him, which she described as unlawful.
“We ask that he be freed immediately or brought before a judge,” she said.
She also called on Nigerians to stay calm and peaceful, even as public interest in the case continues to grow.
