The Nigerian Police Force has taken popular social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), into custody in Abuja.
The controversial online figure was arrested on Friday at a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) branch in the Nigerian capital. The incident was confirmed by his lawyer, Denise Adeyanju, who took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to break the news.
According to Adeyanju, the arrest occurred while VDM was at the bank, although the exact reason behind the police action remains unclear at the moment.
Adeyanju expressed deep concern over the arrest, stating publicly on X, “JUST IN: VDM arrested by the police at GTB. Spoke to them before he was arrested. This is absolutely unacceptable. Demanding accountability is not a crime.”
His statement underscores the growing concern over the treatment of activists and social commentators in Nigeria, especially those who frequently challenge authority or expose sensitive issues online.
Adeyanju’s post quickly gained traction, with supporters of VDM expressing outrage and demanding clarity from law enforcement agencies regarding the circumstances of his arrest.
In a follow-up message, Adeyanju revealed that VDM was not alone at the time of the incident. “A team of policemen arrested VDM at GTB. He was arrested with his friend C Park, but they left his mum alone,” he wrote.
The detail that VDM’s mother was present during the arrest has drawn further criticism from the public, with many questioning the necessity of such a public and dramatic approach to apprehending a social media influencer.
As of now, it is still uncertain whether VDM and his companion were informed of the charges against them at the time of the arrest.
So far, the Nigeria Police force has not issued any official statement concerning the matter, leaving the public in the dark about the motivations behind the police action.
This arrest is not the first of its kind for VDM, as he was previously detained in November 2024 after voluntarily responding to a police invitation. That earlier incident raised similar concerns about freedom of expression and the perceived targeting of outspoken online personalities.
As the story continues to unfold, Nigerians and followers of VDM alike await further information to understand the full context of his arrest.
