By OBSERVERS TIMES
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has officially confirmed the arrest of social media activist, Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), stating that he was apprehended due to multiple petitions filed against him.
Speaking to BBC News Pidgin on Monday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale clarified that the activist was taken into custody following complaints from several petitioners.
“We arrested him to respond to a series of allegations raised against him by some petitioners,” Oyewale stated.
When questioned about a potential connection to Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Oyewale indicated that the petitions originated from various individuals, and the agency has a responsibility to protect them.
Oyewale further disclosed the commission’s intention to arraign the social media activist in court. “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,” he affirmed.
Meanwhile, the Take It Back Movement has called for VeryDarkMan’s immediate and unconditional release. The group reported that Otse was apprehended on Thursday, May 2, 2025, shortly after leaving a GTBank branch in Area 3, Garki, Abuja.
According to the TIB Movement, Otse had visited the bank with his mother and an associate to address unauthorized deductions from his mother’s account when the arrest occurred. CCTV footage of the incident has since circulated online, sparking outrage and allegations of a targeted operation aimed at silencing a prominent critic of government and institutional misconduct.
In a press release issued on Sunday, Adekunle Adeyemi Taofeek (Scotty Aluta), the Lagos State Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, condemned the arrest as “unlawful” and “premeditated,” accusing both the EFCC and GTBank of complicity in an alleged abuse of power.
The TIB Movement also raised a concerning issue regarding the whereabouts of Otse’s mother, who was present during the arrest and has reportedly gone missing.
The group emphasized that this was not the first instance of VeryDarkMan being targeted for his outspoken views on injustice, corruption, and societal issues.
The statement read in part: “The Take It Back Movement condemns in strong terms the unlawful arrest and continued detention of popular activist and social media commentator, Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“Mr. Otse was arrested on Thursday, May 2, 2025, shortly after exiting the GTBank branch in Area 3, Garki, Abuja, where he had gone alongside his mother and an associate to inquire about unauthorized deductions from his mother’s bank account. His arrest, captured on CCTV and now publicly circulating, appears premeditated and raises serious questions about abuse of power and the increasing use of state security agencies to silence critical voices.
“Worse still, his mother, who was with him at the time, remains missing, and her whereabouts are unknown — a deeply troubling development that only further underscores the lawless conduct of the agencies involved.”
