Social media influencer Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has been re-arraigned by the Inspector-General of Police before Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court in Abuja. This legal action follows allegations of cyberbullying directed towards prominent figures in the Nigerian entertainment industry, including actresses Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dikeh, as well as music producer Samuel ‘Samklef’ Oguachuba.
Otse was re-arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on cyberstalking and the alleged dissemination of offensive content through his social media platforms. Despite the serious nature of the charges, he pleaded not guilty to all counts presented before the court.
His counsel, Deji Adeyanju, requested the court to allow the defendant to continue on the earlier bail granted by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of a sister court. This plea aimed to maintain the defendant’s pre-trial release under the existing bail conditions.
The prosecution counsel representing the Inspector-General of Police, Victor Okoye, did not oppose the application. This lack of objection from the prosecution facilitated the court’s decision on the bail issue.
Justice Liman subsequently admitted the defendant to the previous bail terms and adjourned the matter until 24 July 2025 for the commencement of the trial. This sets the timeline for the continuation of the legal proceedings against VeryDarkMan.
VDM was initially arraigned on 22 May 2024 before Justice Olajuwon on the same offences, which are contrary to and punishable under Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015. This indicates that the current re-arraignment pertains to the same alleged cybercrimes under Nigerian law.
Following his remand, he was granted bail on 10 June 2024 to the sum of ₦10 million, with two sureties — either employees of reputable organisations or federal civil servants of not less than Level 17, with evidence of three years’ tax clearance. These were the specific conditions of the bail initially granted to VeryDarkMan.
However, the case was reassigned to Justice Liman following the transfer of Justice Olajuwon to another division of the Federal High Court. This reassignment necessitated the re-arraignment before the new presiding judge.
- Count-by-Count Allegations
According to the charge sheet, in Count One, Otse was alleged to have, on or about 13 October 2023, posted a video on his Instagram account (@verydarkblackman) containing threatening and bullying statements directed at Samklef. This specific charge details the alleged cyberbullying act targeting the music producer.
In Count Two, he was accused of intentionally posting, on or about 29 October 2023, videos containing offensive, pornographic, indecent, obscene, or menacing content targeting actress Iyabo Ojo. This charge outlines the nature of the content and the individual targeted in the alleged cyberstalking.
In the said video, he allegedly claimed that “one Iyabo Ojo is having an indecent sexual relationship with her daughter.” This particular claim within the offensive content highlights the severity of the allegations against VeryDarkMan.
Count Three alleges that, on or about 19 January 2024, VDM falsely published via Instagram that actress Tonto Dikeh had diverted proceeds from a crowdfunding campaign for the “Justice for Mohbad” movement and that she was the person behind the anonymous blog ‘Gistlover.’ This charge specifies the false information allegedly disseminated by VeryDarkMan concerning Tonto Dikeh.
In Count Four, Otse was alleged to have, on or about 19 March 2024, intentionally posted content considered annoying and insulting towards Deputy Inspectors-General of Police and members of the National Assembly. This charge broadens the scope of the alleged offensive content to include public officials.
The trial is expected to begin in July. This sets the stage for the legal proceedings to determine the guilt or innocence of VeryDarkMan on the charges brought against him.