Protest Breaks Out In Abuja As Youths Demand Release Of VeryDarkMan

Some youths on Monday, took to the streets of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, to protest the arrest and detention of a social media personality and popular human rights activist, Martins Vincent Otse, also known as Verydarkman (VDM).

The youths, armed with various placards, demanded the immediate release of VeryDarkMan by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Naija News reports that the protesters were seen in the Wuse area, just right after the Berger bridge, and described VDM’s arrest and detention as illegal.

They also vowed to take their protest to the Nigerian Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the Maitama district of the nation’s capital.

It would be recalled that security operatives arrested VeryDarkMan on Friday, May 2, 20,225, after visiting GTBank with his mother to complain about an alleged deduction from her account.

Giving an update on Monday, the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, in an interview with BBC News Pidgin, said the activist was taken into custody following complaints from several petitioners.

He said, “We arrested him to respond to a series of allegations raised against him by some petitioners.” 

When asked if the case was connected to Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Oyewale noted that the petitions were from different individuals and the agency owed them a duty of protection.

Oyewole noted that the social media activist will be released after meeting his bail conditions, adding he will be arraigned in court.

He stated, “We will release him when he meets the bail conditions and we will take the case to court as soon as possible; we are law-abiding.”