Court Issues Arrest Warrant for VeryDarkMan

A court has ordered the arrest of social media personality VeryDarkMan. Details surrounding the case and legal proceedings remain unfolding. Read more on the latest developments.

A Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, has issued an arrest warrant for Martins Otse, widely recognized on social media as VeryDarkMan (VDM).

On Thursday, the court acted after gospel singer Mercy Chinwo filed a criminal defamation case against him.

Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana directed the Nigeria Police and other law enforcement agencies to arrest VDM and present him in court, following his failure to attend a scheduled hearing on March 5 after receiving a summons.

VDM’s attorney, Deji Adeyanju, requested the court’s permission to personally present his client at the next hearing. However, the magistrate declined to revoke the arrest warrant.

The case centers on claims that VDM made defamatory remarks about Mercy Chinwo on social media. Allegedly, he accused her of mismanaging $345,000 during a contractual disagreement with Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee, her former record label boss.

Chinwo refuted the claims as false and damaging to her reputation, presenting documentary evidence such as emails and payment receipts in court to establish her innocence.

Her legal team, under the leadership of Pelumi Olajengbesi, contended that VDM’s actions breached Section 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24(1)(B) of the Cybercrime Act 2015.

Furthermore, Chinwo’s legal team has initiated a distinct N1.1 billion lawsuit in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. They are insisting that VDM remove his purported defamatory remarks, issue a public apology, and withdraw his statements.