Martins Otse, known on social media as Verydarkman, a contentious figure and social media critic, has been released from police detention in Abuja.
His release was facilitated after several days of legal intervention and public advocacy, as confirmed by Deji Adeyanju, on Sunday.
Verydarkman, 27, found himself in police custody over allegations of cyberbullying, with former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore highlighting the case as an example of the police’s misuse of power, purportedly under the influence of prominent individuals aiming to suppress dissent.
Deji Adeyanju took to the social media platform X to announce the release, expressing gratitude to all who supported the effort, including Sowore and the legal team representing Verydarkman.
He emphasized the collective effort that contributed to securing the critic’s freedom after a contentious five-day period.
He wrote, “After five days of back and forth, we have secured VDM’s release. Thank you to everyone that made this happen especially Sowore, Kefiano & VDM’s wonderful lawyers.”
This incident marks the second arrest of Verydarkman within the year, following an earlier incident in January where he was detained after a complaint by actress Tonto Dikeh.
He was accused of making derogatory comments related to the late Nigerian singer Mohbad’s case, involving Dikeh and her colleague Iyabo Ojo, which he termed as ‘chasing clout’ following the singer’s death.