May 06, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disowned a report by BBC News Pidgin claiming that the agency confirmed the arrest of Nigerian social media personality, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over multiple petitions.
The BBC report had quoted the EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, as saying VDM was arrested following complaints from several individuals alleging cyberstalking.
According to the report, Oyewale also said, “We arrested him to respond to a series of allegations raised against him by some petitioners. We will release him when he meets the bail conditions, and we will take the case to court as soon as possible; we are law-abiding.”
However, the EFCC on Monday dismissed the report as false, tagging it “FAKE NEWS” in a post shared on its official Instagram and Facebook pages, accompanied by a screenshot of the BBC story.
THEWILL earlier reported that VDM was arrested on Friday by EFCC operatives shortly after visiting a GTBank branch in Area 3, Garki, Abuja.
In response to his arrest, hundreds of youths on Monday staged a protest in Abuja.
The demonstrators marched from the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, through GTBank, to the National Human Rights Commission.
Brandishing placards with messages such as “Activism is not a sin” and “VDM is the masses’ liberator,” the protesters chanted slogans including “#FreeVDM,” “He’s not a thief! Release VDM!” and “Carry Yahaya Bello, bring VDM.”
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
