Social media activist VeryDarkMan arrested by police in Abuja bank

Popular Nigerian social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has been arrested by the Nigerian Police Force in Abuja.

His legal representative, Deji Adeyanju, confirmed the arrest to Pulse Nigeria on Friday, May 2.

According to Adeyanju, the outspoken activist was apprehended inside a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) branch alongside a friend, identified only as C Park.

"JUST IN: VDM arrested by the police at GTB. Spoke to them before he was arrested. This is absolutely unacceptable. Demanding accountability is not a crime," Adeyanju said in a social media post.

He further stated, "A team of policemen arrested VDM at GTB. He was arrested with his friend C Park, but they left his mum alone."

VDM's whereabouts unknown

Details regarding the reason for the arrest remain unclear at the time of filing this report, and attempts to confirm the specific police station where VDM is being held have so far been unsuccessful.

When asked by our correspondence of the police station where VDM was detained, he simply said, "We're tracing his whereabouts."

The Nigerian Police Force has not yet issued an official statement regarding the arrest, further fueling speculation about the circumstances.

VDM's long history with police

This is not the first time VDM has been detained by authorities.

In November 2024, he was held after honouring a police invitation, a move that drew significant public attention given his history of vocal criticism of both public and private figures.

Observers are closely watching the situation for developments as public concern grows over the clampdown on dissenting voices in Nigeria.