An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court, located at Wuse Zone 6, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of controversial social media activist Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), on Thursday.
The arrest order resulted from a criminal defamation case brought before the court by renowned gospel singer Mercy Chinwo. In his ruling, Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana directed the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to apprehend VDM and bring him before the court to respond to the criminal allegations made against him by Chinwo.
The court noted that the defendant failed to respond to a summons issued on March 5, which required him to appear for the proceedings. Despite a heartfelt plea from the defendant’s counsel, Mr. Deji Adeyanju, who was present in court, Magistrate Iyana refused to revoke the arrest order. Adeyanju requested permission to personally present his client at the next adjourned date.
Read also: Mercy Chinwo sues VeryDarkMan for N1.1bn for defamation
VDM is accused of making defamatory statements against Chinwo on his social media page. The allegations include claims that she was involved in a contractual dispute regarding the alleged diversion of $345,000 linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee.
Chinwo, feeling aggrieved by these claims, which she deemed false and damaging to her public image and reputation, presented documentary evidence to the court, including emails and payment receipts, to prove her innocence.
The complainant’s legal team, led by Mr. Pelumi Olajengbesi, argued that the defendant’s actions violated Sections 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24(1)(B) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015. Additionally, it’s worth noting that Chinwo’s counsel has also filed a lawsuit for N1.1 billion against VDM in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The lawyer is seeking to compel VDM to delete, retract, and publicly apologize for all the alleged false and defamatory statements made against Chinwo and her brand.
