EFCC Detains Social Media Activist “VeryDarkMan” at GTBank Branch in Abuja

 EFCC Detains Social Media Activist “VeryDarkMan” at GTBank Branch in Abuja

 By [Audoz Buzz],

 

Abuja, Nigeria – May 2, 2025 – In a move that has ignited widespread debate over due process and free speech, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested prominent social media critic Martins Vincent Otse, known online as “VeryDarkMan” (VDM), at the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) branch in Garki, Area 3, Abuja. The detention occurred shortly after VDM purportedly went to the bank to address unauthorized debits from his mother’s account. 

 

According to VDM’s lead counsel, activist-lawyer Deji Adeyanju, EFCC operatives lay in wait inside the bank premises. In a statement posted on social media, Adeyanju revealed that the bank’s exit door was deliberately held shut for over five minutes, effectively trapping VDM and his friend, identified as Steven Avuara (aka C-PACK), until EFCC officers could effect the arrest. “VDM was locked inside the GTB exit door for over 5 minutes to enable EFCC arrest him and his friend,” Adeyanju said, condemning the action as “inhumane treatment” and vowing legal action against GTBank. 

 

Eyewitnesses describe a tense scene: as customers sought to leave, security staff refused to open the barrier, and EFCC operatives, in plainclothes, swiftly moved in to detain VDM and Avuara. Both were blindfolded, placed in unmarked vehicles, and conveyed to the EFCC headquarters in Jabi. VDM reportedly declined to meet with his legal team upon arrival, stating he would only speak once certain conditions were met. 

 

The EFCC has neither confirmed the specific allegations against VDM nor clarified whether formal charges have been filed. Spokesperson Dele Oyewale told reporters that petitions against VDM are “under preliminary review,” but refused to elaborate on their nature. Observers note the agency’s silence fuels concerns about arbitrary detention and the stifling of dissenting voices. 

 

VDM has built his following on vigorous online exposés of corruption and malpractice in both public institutions and private corporations. His critique of GTBank centered on unexplained debits from his mother’s savings, which he raised in a series of livestreamed videos days before his arrest. Bank representatives have not issued any statement regarding the incident. 

 

Human rights groups have decried the arrest as emblematic of a broader pattern: leveraging anti-corruption mandates to quash critics. Chidi Odinkalu, a former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, warned that “when anti-graft tools are used to silence legitimate critics, we all lose. Accountability must be blind to the power or popularity of those it investigates.” 

 

As of this report, VDM and Avuara remain in custody. Adeyanju’s legal team, led by Marvin Omorogbe, is preparing a habeas corpus application and intends to file a civil suit against GTBank for unlawful imprisonment and human rights violations. The outcome of these actions—and whether the EFCC will disclose the substance of its investigation—will be closely watched by activists, legal practitioners, and the broader Nigerian public.

 

*This report will be updated as further details emerge.*

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