Popular social media influencer and human rights advocate Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has been released from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
His lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, confirmed the release during a phone interview.
VDM was arrested on Friday by EFCC operatives at a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) branch in Abuja. The arrest stirred significant public outcry on social media, with many celebrities—including 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and music star Davido—demanding his immediate release.
On Monday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed the agency’s involvement in VDM’s arrest and clarified that the action followed multiple petitions filed against him. Oyewale stated that the EFCC was committed to protecting the identities of the complainants and that VDM would be charged to court once bail conditions were met.
“We arrested him to respond to several allegations raised by petitioners. He’ll be released as soon as he meets bail terms, and we’ll proceed to court in line with due process,” Oyewale said.
Meanwhile, in response to the arrest, a group of youths staged a protest outside the GTBank headquarters in Abuja on Monday, holding placards and demanding justice for VDM.
