Indications have emerged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will release popular social media influencer Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), on Tuesday, following days of detention.
According to The Nation, plans are also underway to formally charge him in court on Thursday. A senior official of the EFCC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the development on Monday.
The official noted that while Otse remains in custody, no formal charges have been filed against him yet.
VeryDarkMan was arrested after publicly accusing a commercial bank of allegedly enabling unauthorized withdrawals from his mother’s account. His lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, revealed via X (formerly Twitter) that Otse and his associate, identified as C Park, were picked up by a team of policemen.
The arrest sparked outrage and led to a protest in Abuja on Monday. Youths took to the streets, marching from the EFCC headquarters to the said bank, demanding Otse’s immediate release and accountability from the authorities.
Protesters carried placards questioning the legality of the arrest and even raised concerns about President Bola Tinubu’s possible involvement. They described the arrest as unlawful and vowed to take their demands for justice to the Nigerian Human Rights Commission.