Legal Team Raises Concerns Over EFCC’s Detention of VeryDarkMan

ABUJA — The legal representatives of social media influencer Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), have expressed serious concerns regarding his continued detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following his arrest on May 1, 2025.

Despite the EFCC’s announcement that Otse had been granted administrative bail, he remains in custody. Zainab Otega, a member of VDM’s legal team, confirmed that her client underwent several hours of interrogation, accompanied by her colleague Marvin Omorogbe.

“The EFCC’s refusal to inform our client of the specific allegations against him constitutes a fundamental breach of his constitutional rights,” Otega stated.

The legal team highlighted that the interrogation focused on issues unrelated to corruption, such as Otse’s handling of naira notes at a nightclub, monetization of his social media accounts, comments about a Nigerian gospel artiste, tax records, and sources of income.

Otega argued that this line of questioning suggests the EFCC is “fishing for evidence” rather than pursuing a legitimate case. She emphasized that detaining Otse beyond the constitutional limit of 24 hours without formal charges is unlawful.

“We are, therefore, calling on the commission to either release Mr. Otse immediately or charge him to court if there is indeed a case to answer,” she added.

The legal team also urged Nigerians to exercise their constitutional right to peaceful protest while refraining from taking the law into their own hands.

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EFCC Defends Arrest

In response, the EFCC, through its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, defended Otse’s arrest, stating that it was conducted fairly as part of ongoing anti-corruption efforts.

Oyewale noted that Otse had repeatedly failed to honor invitations for questioning, despite being contacted through various channels. He affirmed the commission’s legal authority to detain Otse during investigations and confirmed that a valid Remand Order had been secured.

“Otse has been offered administrative bail, subject to the fulfillment of specific conditions,” the statement read.

The EFCC acknowledged the significant public interest in the case and urged Nigerians to refrain from drawing conclusions about its motives. The commission reaffirmed its commitment to conducting thorough investigations and stated that charges would be filed upon the conclusion of the inquiry.