Nigerian activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, is at the centre of a storm after his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)—a move his legal team has branded as unlawful and abusive.
In a swift response, his legal representative Deji Adeyanju announced he had cut short his trip to Banjul, Gambia, to return to Nigeria and challenge the EFCC’s actions head-on. “I’ll be at the EFCC headquarters with my team to demand answers,” Adeyanju stated, saying he’s scheduled to arrive back in Nigeria by 4 p.m.
According to a statement from Adeyanju’s firm, Deji Adeyanju and Partners, signed by Zainab M. Otega, Esq., the EFCC has so far failed to publicly justify the arrest. The only document shown to Otse’s lawyers was an arrest warrant issued by Magistrate Njideka Iloanya-Duru of Wuse Zone 2, citing alleged cyberstalking.
The legal team described a harrowing account of Otse’s arrest, which allegedly took place immediately after he, his mother, and friend Steven Avuara left a GTBank branch in Garki, Abuja. According to Mr. Avuara—who briefly spoke to the lawyers—they had visited the bank to complain about unexplained deductions from Mrs. Otse’s account.
Moments after leaving the bank, they were reportedly locked inside a security booth for several minutes before being ambushed by armed men in black uniforms. The men allegedly beat and blindfolded Otse and Avuara at gunpoint, labelling them “bandits” and threatening to shoot them in front of Otse’s mother, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
At EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Otse allegedly refused to speak, possibly due to trauma from the violent arrest. Avuara, who was allowed a brief interaction with lawyers, said they were taken by surprise and feared for their lives.
Despite repeated demands, EFCC officers reportedly refused to state the specific charges against Avuara and continued questioning him without proper legal disclosure—prompting the lawyers to walk out of the interrogation in protest.
“We demand that the EFCC respect our clients’ constitutionally guaranteed rights,” the law firm stated, insisting the arrests violated due process and basic human dignity.
The legal team says it will continue to push for transparency and accountability in the handling of this high-profile case.
