Nigeria anti-corruption police, Economic and Financial Crimes commission, EFCC may have failed to state the alleged crime or crimes committed by a Human Rights activist, Martins Vincent Otse aka VeryDarkMan since 5 days, over 120 hours the anti corruption police arrested him in Abuja when he went with his mother to GTBank to get clarification from the bank over constant apparent unauthorized withdrawals effected by the bank on the woman’s savings account, although VeryDarkMan was arrested alongside his friend, Steven Avuara aka C-Pack but according to the statement issued by the activist lawyer’s  legal chamber, Deji Adeyanju and Partners, Steven Avuara was released shortly after he was arrested on Friday, with the Chamber insisting that as at on Tuesday, EFCC have not been able to state the crime or crimes their client, VeryDarkMan committed, rather, as at on Monday, four operatives of the EFCC engaged the Human Rights activist in hours long questions that borders on why he allegedly monetized his social media pages, his public comments about a Gospel musician, his tax records and his source of income, this, apparently authenticated the BBC report that the EFCC confirmed to it that VeryDarkMan was arrested and detained for cyber talking, a BBC report which EFCC swiftly launched media war against the British media, tagging the BBC report as a fake news, and in retaliation, the BBC Pidgin replied EFCC with a post that its report is correct,  and undoubtedly, the Crime of Cyber Talking may not be the duty of the EFCC as such is apparently the constitutional responsibility of the Nigeria Police Force, and if true that the Human Rights activist was detained for Cyber Talking, it shows that the country ruling political party, the All Progressives Congress, APC may have questions to answer, the APC had earlier issued threat message to the Human Rights activist after the activist called the Nigeria Senate President, Godswill Akpabio out over the Senate President traveling to Rome in Italy to attend Pope Francis burial, while  almost daily killings and unabated high level of insecurity are observed in several states in the West Africa country, and further more, EFCC in a statement on Tuesday, only issued an apparent vague statement that he received series of petitions against the activist as a way to try to justify why the Human Rights activist was arrested and detained, but, the anti corruption commission probably could not make any reasonable allegation against the Human Rights defender even when the commission confirmed in the statement that it has been investigating the allegations filed against VeryDarkMan before the activist was arrested in a commando like style at the exit gate of GTBank.

According to Deji Adeyanju and Partners legal Chamber, “Following our earlier statement on the arrest of our clients, Mr Martins Vincent Otse (aka Very Dark Black Man) and Mr Steven Avuara (aka C-Pack), by officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and considering the heightened interest that their arrest has generated amongst members of the public, we are constrained to issue this further statement.

While we can confirm that Mr Avuara was released after our intervention on May 2, 2025, Mr Otse, however, remains in the Commission’s custody, and was interrogated for several hours yesterday, May 5, 2025, in the presence of
our Founding Partner, Marvin Omorogbe, Esquire.

Our interaction with Mr Otse largely confirmed the version of events previously communicated to us by Mr Avuara, as it relates to the circumstances surrounding their arrest.

We note with grave concern that four days after officers of the EFCC arrested Mr Otse, the Commission is yet to formally inform him of the specific allegations against him or avail him with any petition that necessitated his arrest.

Rather, the interrogation by the Commission’s Special Duties Committee (SDC) 4 officers yesterday was primarily focused on our client’s handling of Naira notes at a club, alleged monetization of his social media accounts, his public comments about a Nigerian Gospel Artist, his tax records, and source of income.

Notwithstanding the Commission’s powers to investigate financial crimes, as
streamlined by the Supreme Court in Nwobike versus FRN and Nwaoboshi versus ERN, it’s refusal to inform our client of the specific allegations against him not only constitutes a fundamental breach of our client’s constitutional right but also
suggests to us that this is a case where the Commission has effected an arrest and is now fishing for evidence to justify the arrest.

We are, therefore, by this statement calling on the Commission to immediately release Mr Otse or charge him to Court if it has any case against him, as his continuous detention beyond the constitutional limit of 24 hours is now illegal”, the Legal Chamber statement ends in quotes.

EFCC in a Press Release issued on Tuesday with a caption; “EFCC’s Case against Martins Vincent Otse” reads verbatim below:

“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in the exercise of its mandate of tackling economic and financial crimes, invited Martins Vincent Otse owing to a series of petitions bordering on sundry issues of alleged financial crimes raised against him.

He refused to show up in spite of several invitations sent to him through his known addresses and medium of communication. The petitions pertain to grave allegations of financial malfeasance which cannot be ignored by the Commission.

It is needful to admit that the Commission is aware of several unguarded attacks of the suspect against its operations. While such conduct is condemnable, his arrest was not informed by such attacks. The relevant law enforcement agency will be allowed to look into them.

The EFCC has a lawful right to hold Otse in custody like any other suspect being investigated by the Commission. The appropriate Remand Order was obtained in this regard. He has been offered an administrative bail and would be released after fulfilling all the bail conditions.

The Commission appreciates the interest of Nigerians in its operations. The passion, enthusiasm and torrential reactions to all of its activities are welcome.

However, insinuations about its motive in carrying out its assignment should no longer continue. The EFCC should be allowed to do its job without fear or favour. As soon as investigations are concluded, charges will be filed”.

It would be recalled that some aggrieved Nigerian youths staged a protest on Monday at the Garlic Area 3 branch of Guaranty Trust Bank, condemning the arrest and detention of social activist, Martin Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.

The visibly angry protesters criticized the manner in which the activist was apprehended, saying it was an act of kidnapping.

They claimed he was neither invited for questioning nor arrested with a warrant.

Former Anambra State Governor and the Labour Party Presidential candidate in the last concluded Nigeria elections, Peter Obi had in a post said: “The Recent developments in our nation continue to raise serious concerns about the direction we are headed as a democracy. The tension in the land aggravated by hardship is being needlessly fueled by our attitude to the rule of law and human rights.

The arrest of Martin Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), though perhaps within the legal rights of security agencies, was carried out in a manner that left many Nigerians unsettled.

The display of force, lacking in transparency and civility, closely resembled an abduction, a disturbing method that not only creates fear but also risks being mimicked by criminal elements. If Nigerians begin to struggle to distinguish between legitimate arrests and unlawful abductions, we will lose a vital layer of national security and accountability.

This trend is not new. We must recall that even our esteemed judges, the last line of defence for justice, have suffered similar indignities in recent years. When those who interpret the law are treated with such disregard, it is difficult to expect that ordinary citizens will feel protected under the law.

Moreover, these methods are beginning to affect our economy and business environment. The backlash directed at GTBank, allegedly linked to the circumstances surrounding Mr Otse’s arrest, has had serious reputational consequences. At a time when investor confidence is already fragile, we must do all we can to avoid actions that tarnish institutions or undermine the trust of both citizens and the international community.

One cannot help but ask: was it impossible to invite Mr Otse in a civil, transparent, and legal manner? Would that not have spared Nigerians, GTBank, and our national image the unnecessary shame and losses we now witness?

Similarly troubling are allegations surrounding the so-called adoption of the NANS President If true, it raises critical questions about the independence of student leadership and the subtle erosion of young voices in our democracy. Nigeria’s youth should not feel coerced, silenced, or absorbed into political agendas that do not reflect their will. The oppression of young voices, whether through force, patronage, or intimidation, is a dangerous path that we must not normalize.

We must return to a Nigeria where justice is done and is seen to be done without theatrics or abuse. A country where youth can speak freely, judges can serve with dignity, and institutions act responsibly. That is the Nigeria we must rebuild”, Peter Obi stated.

We had reported that there is apparent tension in Nigeria over the arrest of a popular Human Rights activist, Martins Vincent Otse aka VeryDarkMan or VDM who was allegedly seized by Nigeria Security operatives in a manner that have kept many wondering, suspecting acts of oppression and intimidation based on threats issued by the ruling political party, All Progressives Congress, APC against the Human Rights activist, after the activist condemned the Nigeria Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, for traveling to Vatican in Italy to attend Pope Francis burial ceremony, while, he said, the Senate President has failed to visit states where almost daily burial ceremonies are often held, in some states like Plateau, Benue, Kwara, Enugu and Ogun States where gunmen, bandits are killing the Senate President fellow citizens in large numbers unabated in recent time in Nigeria, and angered by the talks, the APC South South Zonal Organising Secretary, Blessing Agbomhere issued seven days ultimatum to VeryDarkMan to apologize to the Senate President who led five-man Federal Government delegation to Rome to attend the late Catholic Head funeral ceremony, but immediately, VeryDarkMan in a video issued the public apology to the victims of insecurity in the West Africa country, and in the video, he further accused and condemned the Senate President and other  Nigeria leaders for being insensitivity to their institutional responsibilities of protecting lives, saying, insecurity, killing hundreds of people often in Nigeria is as a result of Leadership failure on the part of the Senate President and members of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu led Government, and surprisingly, Deji Adeyanju, the lawyer to the activist, said that VeryDarkMan was arrested at Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB in Abuja on Friday in a more dehumanizing manner, and after he was trapped at the Exit Door at the GTB premises for five minutes, some security operatives came and cover his face with a black cloth before he was led away, and for more than 48 hours, Nigeria authority is yet to issue statement over the arrest of the Human Rights activist who had on Friday went with her Mother to the GTB bank to get clarification over the unauthorised withdrawals constantly done on his mother savings account, after the activist suspected that someone may have used his mother National Identification Number, NIN to take loan from the GTB bank.

Osazuwa Akonedo

Osazuwa Akonedo is a Nigerian media professional, author, and consultant. His work spans various sectors of communication and literature: Journalism and Media: He is the founder of OsazuwaAkonedo, which focuses on news analysis and commentary. He also provides consultancy services in media and banking. Literature: He is a published playwright and author of Nigerian literature. One of his notable works is the drama titled The End Shall Tell: What Exam Malpractice Can Cause, which addresses educational and social issues in Nigeria. Reporting: He frequently reports on regional news, particularly concerning Edo State and broader Nigerian current affairs. Credit: Google Gemini AI Mode Osazuwa Akonedo is a Nigerian media creator, journalist, and entrepreneur who engages audiences via news reporting, social media content, music, and a mobile application. Professional Background and Company Osazuwa Akonedo is associated with OSAZUWAAKONEDO LIMITED, a company registered in Nigeria that operates in media consultancy and news services  The company is headquartered in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, and has been active in publishing news in various formats including text, audio, video, and photos  Social Media and Online Platforms Osazuwa Akonedo maintains a strong online presence on several platforms: TikTok: Shares news updates and reports, for example, covering police operations in Nigeria  YouTube: Operates a channel where he uploads videos on current affairs and news content  Twitter/X: Active under the handle @akonedo_osazuwa, posting updates on events and news  Facebook: Profiles listing his connection to news and media activities can be found on Facebook  Mobile App: Offers a dedicated mobile application for news access through Google Play (Osazuwa Akonedo News App) providing text, video, and photo news formats  News Reporting and Content He produces news content covering national and local stories, including criminal activities, government updates, and investigative reports   His reporting spans multiple formats, making it accessible to a wide audience through online platforms, mobile apps, and social media  Other Contributions In addition to journalism, Osazuwa Akonedo has also ventured into audio releases, such as “Former Justice Minister Abubakar Malami Begs Nigerians For Justice” released on January 25, 2026   He also hosts podcasts documenting significant events, e.g, NDLEA arrests related to historical criminal cases  Summary Osazuwa Akonedo is a multifaceted media professional engaged in journalism, social media content creation, music, and technology via his news app. He utilizes platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Twitter/X, Facebook, and mobile applications to disseminate news and reach audiences both locally and internationally Credit: Azure AI

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