Many young people have protested in the streets of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as Verydarkman (VDM), a social media personality and rights activist.
VDM’s arrest and incarceration were deemed unlawful by the demonstrators, who were seen in the Wuse neighbourhood immediately following the Berger bridge.
They also promised to bring their complaint to the Nigerian Human Rights Commission, which is located in the capital city’s Maitama sector.
Some protesters also besieged the headquarters of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) in Abuja, demanding his immediate release.
According to his legal representative, Deji Adeyanju, the activist was ambushed and arrested by EFCC operatives within the GTBank premises, a claim that has fuelled speculation about the bank’s possible complicity.
GTBank, however, denied any involvement in the arrest, releasing CCTV footage to refute the allegations. In a public statement, the bank clarified that VeryDarkMan was not arrested on its premises and called for a transparent investigation into the matter.
While the debate surrounding the detention of social media influencer and critic seems to be escalating, his attorney, Deji Adeyanju, has also called out human rights activist Femi Falana for his lack of response.
Notably, security forces recently arrested Verydarkman in Abuja, and according to a recent source, well-known gospel singer Mercy Chinwo may have been involved in the arrest.
Deji Adeyanju recently asked why Femi Falana had not spoken out about Verydarkman’s fear in a Facebook post.
He brought up a similar incident during Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency, saying that he was the first to speak up when security forces arrested the person who planned an attack on him
