Controversial social media activist and outspoken critic of societal injustices, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has been released from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
His release came late Wednesday evening to his legal representative, human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju.
The arrest of VeryDarkMan last Friday by EFCC operatives, described by observers as a Gestapo-style operation, sparked widespread outrage across Nigeria.
Social media platforms exploded with solidarity messages, with trending hashtags like #FreeVeryDarkMan and #JusticeForVDM dominating the conversation.
The activist was arrested following “multiple petitions” from unnamed individuals. These petitions reportedly alleged involvement in financial crimes, prompting the EFCC to take action.
According to the EFCC, Otse was arrested after allegedly ignoring several formal invitations sent to his known addresses and communication channels. The commission also confirmed that a valid remand order had been obtained to detain him legally while investigations continued.
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VDM was interrogated on Tuesday in the presence of his lawyer, Barrister Marvin Omorogbe, from Adeyanju’s law firm. Sources close to the matter say the questioning focused heavily on Otse’s social media content, particularly videos accusing the EFCC of corruption and misconduct.
In a statement, the EFCC denied any connection between Otse’s arrest and his public criticisms of the commission, reiterating that the agency was acting on serious financial crime allegations:
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in the exercise of its mandate of tackling economic and financial crimes, invited Martins Innocent Otse owing to a series of petitions bordering on sundry issues of alleged financial crimes raised against him.”
The EFCC added that Otse had been granted administrative bail and would be released upon fulfillment of his bail conditions, which was confirmed on Wednesday.
