A popular social media activist, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, is still in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), even after being granted bail.
His lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, said it has been very difficult to get the documents for his client’s bail. He complained that, since they heard about the bail decision, they have tried many times to get the papers, but the EFCC has not given them.
The EFCC had earlier said in a statement by its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, that VeryDarkMan was given administrative bail, but would remain in custody until he meets all the bail conditions.
The EFCC explained that VeryDarkMan was invited many times to answer questions about serious financial crimes reported against him, but he refused to show up. Because of this, he was arrested.
Dele Oyewale also said the EFCC followed the law by getting a court order to keep VeryDarkMan in custody while they continued their investigation.
He added that, even though VeryDarkMan had said many bad things about the EFCC on social media, his arrest was not because of those comments. It was strictly because of the financial crime petitions written against him.
The EFCC asked the public not to spread false news and allow them to do their job properly. They promised that, once investigations are done, the next steps would be taken according to the law.
Meanwhile, the arrest of VeryDarkMan has caused anger among many of his fans and some public figures. Some supporters protested in front of GTBank’s headquarters in Abuja, demanding his release.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election, along with some lawyers and others, have also spoken against the arrest.
A quote from Adeyanju reads:
“Bail granted VDM, social media bail, as we are yet to receive any bail document from the commission. We have made several repeated demands in this regard since yesterday, when we were informed about the decision to grant bail,” he said.
The situation is still ongoing as supporters continue to ask for his immediate release.
