Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon, presiding over the Federal High Court in Abuja, has ordered the temporary detention of Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, a prominent figure in social media circles, following his plea of not guilty to charges of cybercrime brought against him by the Nigeria Police Force.
The remand order came after VeryDarkMan denied five counts of cybercrime accusations leveled against him by the police. Among the charges, the police alleged that VeryDarkMan shared videos on his Instagram account containing content that was deemed “grossly offensive, pornographic, or of an indecent, obscene, or menacing nature.”
Specifically, the police accused VeryDarkMan of falsely claiming in one video that Iyabo Ojo engaged in indecent sexual activity with her daughter, despite knowing the information to be false. Additionally, they alleged that VeryDarkMan falsely accused actress Tonto Dike of criminal conversion related to fundraising efforts for the #JusticeforMohbadMovement and of operating the controversial gossip blog, Gistlover, with the intention of causing annoyance, inconvenience, or insult to her.
In another video, VeryDarkMan purportedly made false allegations about high-ranking police officers and Senators engaging in sexual relations with the convicted cross-dresser, Bobrisky, claiming Bobrisky facilitated such encounters for them, which the police asserted was intended to cause annoyance, inconvenience, or danger.
The charges against VeryDarkMan include Cyberstalking, as outlined in section 24 (1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.
Despite pleading not guilty, VeryDarkMan’s legal representative, Deji Adeyanju, requested bail for his client, citing the presumption of innocence enshrined in the constitution. However, the police requested time to respond to the bail application.
Consequently, the court adjourned the case until the following Wednesday, May 29, 2024, to allow for further proceedings.
This isn’t the first time VeryDarkMan has faced legal action over similar allegations. In March, he was arrested and detained by the police on identical charges but was later released on administrative bail.