A day after an arrest warrant was issued against him by a magistrate court in Abuja, controversial Nigerian social media personality VeryDarkMan (VDM) has finally spoken up.
Taking to his Instagram page on March 14, 2025, the outspoken activist addressed the situation, emphasizing that the court order was issued while he was outside the country.
In his usual defiant tone, he brushed off the arrest warrant, suggesting that he was unbothered by the legal trouble awaiting him in Nigeria.
“I dey come Naija very soon, make una ready to arrest me for airport. Arrest no be new thing for the Ratel na,” VDM wrote, making it clear that he had no intention of avoiding the authorities.
In his post, he also made direct references to the reason for his warrant, stating, “THE COURT ORDERED FOR MY ARREST BECAUSE OF MERCY CHINWO (I NO SEND ANYBODY PAPA, I AM COMING TO NAIJA SOON, still working on deals for the benefit of our youths and empowerment, we don too suffer).”
His words sparked immediate reactions from his followers, with some praising his boldness while others criticized him for his reckless statements.
The Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, had issued the bench warrant against VDM over an alleged defamation case involving Nigerian gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.
According to reports, VDM had failed to appear in court after being summoned on March 5, 2025 to address accusations of making false and damaging remarks about the singer.
The court’s decision to issue a warrant suggests that it considers the matter serious enough to demand his physical presence.
VDM’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, confirmed the news in a statement to Channels Television on March 13, criticizing the decision. “Yes, a bench warrant has been issued against him for failure to show up in court. They are just interested in a media trial; they are not serious about prosecution,” Adeyanju claimed.
He further alleged that the case was being blown out of proportion to tarnish VDM’s image, insisting that the social media figure was not running away from the case.
Adeyanju also revealed that he had previously appealed to the court to allow him to appear on behalf of VDM, but the request was denied.
According to him, the magistrate insisted that the social media personality must personally appear before the court. “We tried to reach a middle ground, but the court was firm in its decision that my client must appear in person. That is the only reason this arrest warrant is now in play,” the lawyer explained.
The controversy stems from VDM’s alleged defamatory remarks on social media, where he accused Mercy Chinwo of being involved in a contractual dispute and the diversion of $345,000 linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, popularly known as Eezee Tee.
These claims reportedly led to public backlash against Chinwo, with many questioning her integrity. It was this situation that prompted her legal team to take the matter to court.
In response to the allegations, Chinwo provided the court with documentation, including emails and payment receipts, to disprove VDM’s claims.
Her legal team argued that the accusations were not only false but also damaging to her reputation. “The claims made against my client were fabricated and meant to harm her character. We have presented sufficient evidence to prove this, and we expect the court to act accordingly,” her lawyer stated.
With VDM now preparing to return to Nigeria, all eyes are on the case to see how events will unfold in the coming weeks.
