A large group of protesters gathered outside the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) headquarters in Abuja on Monday, calling for the immediate release of social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM).
Chanting slogans like “#FreeVDM” and carrying signs that read “Activism is not a crime” and “He did nothing wrong,” demonstrators voiced their anger over Otse’s recent arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on cyberstalking charges.
According to Otse’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, EFCC operatives apprehended him inside the bank. However, GTBank denied this, releasing CCTV footage showing Otse leaving the banking hall and heading toward the car park moments before his arrest. The actual arrest was not caught on camera, as the area outside lacked surveillance coverage.
The arrest has sparked widespread backlash online, with critics accusing both GTBank and the authorities of attempting to suppress dissent and target outspoken voices.
Otse is no stranger to legal controversy. In May 2024, he was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja on five cyberstalking charges related to alleged online attacks against the Nigeria Police Force and actresses Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dikeh. He pleaded not guilty and was held in custody pending a bail hearing.
In November 2024, he was again charged this time with impersonation after allegedly dressing as a police officer. He maintained his innocence and was granted bail set at ₦2 million.
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