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.

CCTV footage apparently made available by the bank indicated that VeryDarkMan was obviously intercepted at the Bank Exit Gate, as he was seen coming out from a vehicle and entering the bank Security House, with passersby who were about to enter the bank banking hall looking back with a feeling of surprise.

The arrest has sparked outrage online and raised questions about the bank’s alleged complicity in what critics describe as a targeted crackdown to oppress the voice that can speak and speak louder.

According to his legal representative, activist-lawyer Deji Adeyanju, VeryDarkMan was ambushed by EFCC operatives right inside GTBank premises.

In a statement posted online, Adeyanju revealed that VDM was trapped inside the bank’s exit door for over five minutes — a move he claims was a deliberate ploy to enable EFCC officers effect the arrest.

“VDM was locked inside the GTB exit door for over 5 minutes to enable EFCC arrest him and his friend,” Adeyanju said.

“We will be taking legal actions against GTB for the inhumane treatment meted out to our client. We will issue a public statement soon.”

Adeyanju further disclosed that his legal team, led by Marvin Omorogbe, had already located the detained activist and were working to secure his release.

“Our lawyers led by the Head of our firm Marvin Omorogbe just met VDM’s friend who was arrested together with him in EFCC custody. VDM refused to come out of the cell; that he won’t see anyone,” Adeyanju said.

“We have located VDM and [are] working on getting him out. Our lawyers are now with him,” he added

It would be recalled that the South South Zonal Organizing Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Blessing Agbomhere, Esquire, has warned the social media influencer, Martins Vincent Otse popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to immediately tender an unreserved apology to the President of the Senate and number three citizen of Nigeria, Senator Godswill Akpabio, following what he described as Otse’s unwarranted and slanderous verbal attack on the person of Akpabio for leading a five man federal government delegation to the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican.

In a three minute viral video on social media, VeryDarkMan described Akpabio’s visit to Rome as shameful, insisting that the President of the Senate lacked the moral standing to attend the Pope’s funeral when he would have used less time to visit Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Ogun and Enugu states that are currently bedeviled by large scale insecurity as a result of attacks by marauding herdsmen which has led to the death of scores of innocent Nigerians.

The South South Zonal Organizing Secretary of the APC issued a stern warning to VeryDarkMan, urging him to desist from slandering law abiding and critical stakeholders in project Nigeria, all in the name of activism.

“This individual known as VeryDarkMan is now notorious for blackmail, slander and character assassination while pretending to be an advocate for the masses and social crusader. The unwarranted verbal attack on the President of the Senate is yet another of such aimless, baseless and uninformed diatribe, this time, targeted at the number three citizen of Nigeria who did not send himself to Rome but was duly nominated by President Bola Tinubu to lead a strong five man delegation to represent Nigeria at the Pope’s funeral. What exactly is wrong in that?

“Being a devout Catholic and family man with unblemished character, President Tinubu saw in Akpabio a worthy ambassador of Nigeria to such an event as the Pope’s funeral and wasted no time in thrusting that responsibility on him. Just like the Scriptures admonished Christians to celebrate with those that are celebrating and to mourn with those that are bereaved, the Nigerian delegation led by Akpabio joined the rest of the world to mourn the passing of the Head of the Catholic Church, what is wrong in that?

“I am, with this statement, issuing VeryDarkMan a one week ultimatum to immediately tender an unreserved apology to the President of the Senate for the slanderous comments and to desist from further bringing the integrity of the President Bola Tinubu led administration into disrepute in the eyes of the global community.” the statement read in parts.

Agbomhere urged Nigerians to ignore the uninformed ranting of VeryDarkMan, adding that the current administration is working assiduously behind the scene to tackle the pervasive insecurity across the country which it inherited from previous administrations.

“Upon his return from France and the United Kingdom, President Tinubu met with Security Chiefs and during the meeting he gave them marching orders to ensure that a different approach is deployed in the fight against insecurity, does this sound like a man who is not serious about protecting the lives and property of Nigerians? Mind you, the complex security problems in the country cannot be wished away with a wave of the hand, it takes time to achieve a semblance of peace and that is a commitment that the Tinubu led administration made to Nigerians while assuming office and is still committed to achieving,” the statement concludes.

The Senate President led delegation, which included Minister Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu and prominent clerics like Archbishops Lucius Ugorji, Matthew Kukah, and Ignatius Kaigama, delivered Tinubu’s condolences to the Vatican following the Pope’s death on April 21, 2025, a day after he led Easter Mass.

President Tinubu, who hailed the late Pope as a “humble servant of God” and “tireless champion of the poor,” stated his passing post-Easter “symbolizes a sacred return to his Maker,” offering hope to Christians globally.

A Nigerian wrote on social media account that “the APC’s fiery rebuttal failed to quell public outrage, with critics accusing the ruling party of prioritizing optics over action. “Complex security problems can’t be wished away with a wave of the hand,” the party conceded, even as it doubled down on silencing VeryDarkMan.

With the clock ticking on the apology deadline, Nigeria’s political arena braces for a showdown: Will the influencer bow to pressure, or will this spark a broader revolt against perceived government insensitivity? For now, the battle lines are drawn—Rome versus Ruins, power versus protest”.