Nigerian lawyer and activist Comrade Deji Adeyanju announced that he had successfully secured the release of social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The announcement came via a post on X, where Adeyanju clarified that there were no conditions attached to VDM’s bail, although VDM’s phone and car remain in EFCC custody.
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Despite everything that has happened, i still like the EFCC Chairman. And there was no condition for VDM’s bail. I was the one who applied for his bail and I made an undertaking to produce him anytime he is needed. His phone and car still with EFCC.
— Comrade Deji Adeyanju (@adeyanjudeji) May 8, 2025
Martins Vincent Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan, was detained by the EFCC on May 2, 2025, over allegations of cyberstalking. The arrest took place in a car park, following initial reports that it occurred at a bank’s exit door, a discrepancy later clarified by CCTV footage. The detention sparked protests in Abuja, with activists chanting slogans like “Free VDM” and “Activism is not a crime.” Many viewed the arrest as an attempt to silence a vocal critic of the government.
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Deji Adeyanju, a prominent human rights lawyer, took on VDM’s case and visited him in EFCC custody on May 5, 2025. In a post on X, Adeyanju revealed that the EFCC admitted there was no formal petition against VDM, raising questions about the legitimacy of the arrest. After five days in detention, VDM was released on May 7, 2025, following Adeyanju’s intervention.
In his X post on May 8, 2025, Adeyanju stated: “Despite everything that has happened, I still like the EFCC Chairman. And there was no condition for VDM’s bail. I was the one who applied for his bail and I made an undertaking to produce him anytime he is needed. His phone and car still with EFCC.”
Adeyanju also praised the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, for his cooperation during the process, a stance that drew mixed reactions from the public.
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The EFCC arrested VDM based on allegations of cyberstalking, though specific details about the complaints were not disclosed. Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) condemned the arrest, calling it “unlawful and arbitrary.” Sowore argued that the EFCC was attempting to silence VDM after he accused the agency and its leadership of corruption.
